2016
by FinchelFan728
Summary: Finchel stuck to no contact after Glease. After Rachel's TV show flopped and the glee club was disbanded, they both lost their confidence. Unknown to each other, they both apply for positions on a presidential campaign. What will happen when they find out they are working together? Is there hope for the campaign - and Finchel? Some characters are borrowed from The West Wing.
1. Chapter 1: Get Their Confidence Back

_Hey guys! I know it's uncommon to do so many stories at once, but this is an idea I've always had, and sometimes you just have to write a story, so that's what it was like for this story for me. Plus, with an election coming up in the US, I thought now would be a good time :) This story is different from anything I've ever done with Finchel (though I wrote an original fiction story about an election back in high school) and takes place in an alternate world from both Gleeverse and the United States. Some things you should know:_

 _1\. Obviously, Finn is alive. Finn and Rachel stuck with their no contact rule after Glease, so Rachel didn't come back for Will's wedding or the end of glee club celebration. All events of Season 5 except Finn's death are canon, but since Rachel disappeared after That's So Rachel, the events of Season 6 are not canon._

 _2\. This story also takes place in an alternate universe of the United States. A Republican won the 2012 presidential election._

 _3\. The politician Finchel campaign for is borrowed from another TV show, as are most politicians in the story. I dropped some hints in this chapter about who Finchel are campaigning for, and the first person to guess correctly gets to pick the first non-Finchel glee characters to appear :)_

 _Without further ado, enjoy the first chapter, and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 1: Get Their Confidence Back

"UGH!" Finn groaned. He sat in the living room, watching as the Yankees scored another run in a game against the Indians. Before Finn had a chance to hear what was next, he heard crying on the baby monitor, and walked upstairs to the nursery. His mom had asked him to watch the six-month-old daughter of one of her co-workers tonight while she and Burt went out to dinner with the coworker and he'd agreed to do it. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

Finn went upstairs with the bottle, scooped the baby out of the crib, and began cradling her. "It's okay, Mommy and Daddy will be home soon."

Watching the baby drink the bottle, Finn thought about how simple life was when you were this young, and how not simple his life was. It was summer of 2015 and a lot had changed. Ever since graduation, things had just gone downhill, and every time life took a step forward, it seemed to immediately take two steps back.

Finn thought he'd make a good name for himself in the army. Sure, he was upset that he hadn't gotten into the college he wanted and that it meant breaking up with Rachel, but he could redeem his dad. Of course, he hadn't even been there a month before he shot himself and got discharged. He hid out in Georgia for a while before going to New York, hoping to fix things up with Rachel, only to find that she'd moved on to a guy who looked like he was made of plastic. Worried it would be too hard to face her, he told her no contact, and she hadn't contacted him since.

Things finally started to get better when he started helping with the glee club while Mr. Schuester was in Washington. Finn enjoyed helping the glee club, but then the glee club was disbanded when they didn't win Nationals. Sure, he was at college now, but he was struggling academically. Academics had always been a struggle for him. After the glee club was disbanded, Mr. Schue got a job at Carmel High, and Coach Sylvester had transferred all the glee club members to other schools, so Finn didn't even have a chance to fall back on the glee club.

Finn's thoughts were interrupted when Carole's friend got home. He took his money and drove home, still feeling down by the events that had happened over the past few years.

"How was babysitting?" Carole asked as Finn came in.

Finn shrugged. "It was fine. She slept most of the time I was there."

"That's what babies do," Carole said.

"Well, I sleep a lot, too," Finn added.

"That's true," Carole admitted. "Maybe too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn asked.

"Finn, you need to get out and about more," Burt said. "You're always sitting on the couch watching TV or sleeping."

Finn knew that was true, and he was ashamed of that. Still, he wasn't going to let his parents draw attention to it. "That's not true... I work at the tire shop."

"Yeah, you arrive and just go through the motions," Burt said.

Why were his parents choosing tonight of all night to make Finn feel bad about his situation? "I'm fine."

"Finn, honey, we want to see you happy, and you're not very happy," Carole said. "Your brother's well on his way to a career at Vogue..."

Finn couldn't take this anymore. "Haven't you noticed any time I get involved with something it goes to hell?"

"Honey, you haven't tried getting involved with something in over a year..." Carole began.

"Yeah, I'm struggling to get Cs in college, big deal," Finn groaned.

"You just need to get your confidence and focus back," Burt said.

"Well, do you have any ideas on how I can do that?" Finn asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Burt said. "One of my friends in congress is running for president and he was telling me the other day that he's hiring staff for his campaign..."

"I know I did some canvassing for you, but I don't think that qualifies me for a job on a campaign," Finn said. Plus, with his luck, Burt's friend would probably lose the election.

"I did tell him that you need a positive outlet in your life and he agreed that you could get that with the campaign," Burt said.

Finn had no idea what he would do. Still, the thought of one of Burt's friends from congress as president was a good one. From 2001 to 2009, the United States had a Republican president who was absolutely terrible. In 2008, a Democratic senator from Illinois was elected president and started to clean things up, but he moved at a slower pace than people would have liked and the country still wasn't in the place people wanted it to be when the 2012 election came around. In 2012, another Republican was elected president, and things were an even bigger mess than they were before, if possible. "Well, our country could use a better president," Finn admitted.

"Yeah, my friend has lots of great ideas, but he's a long shot and he'll need all the help he can get," Burt said. "I'd work for him, but with my health history, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be traveling all over the country."

"Traveling all over the country?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, if you got this job, you'd get to go all over the country on the campaign and meet all sorts of people," Carole said.

"Wow," Finn said. He had to admit, that could be fun.

"Yeah, and like I said, I put in a good word for you with him," Burt added.

"Do you still think he'd hire me?" Finn asked.

x

Finn paced around the office portion of the capitol building. He'd filled out the application and done a background check online and gotten a phone call from someone from the campaign, asking for an interview at the congressman's office in DC. This had just been an idea in theory before, but now this was it. He was really here. Was he going to mess up again? Or would he get his confidence back like he hoped he would?

Finally, about ten minutes (that felt like much longer) after Finn checked in with the secretary, a man who looked like he was in his 30s came out. "Hi, are you Finn?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Finn said.

"Hi, I'm Josh, the campaign manager," the man said. "Let's go into the congressman's office to chat."

"Okay," Finn said. He'd expected the congressman himself, but this was the campaign manager. At least if he said or did something stupid with the campaign manager, it would be less embarrassing than if it happened with the congressman.

When they got into the congressman's office, Finn reached into his bag and pulled out his resume. "So, I have a copy of my resume for you. You probably saw it when I applied online though... I don't know what position would be best for me, but I did do some canvassing and phone calls for my stepdad when he ran for congress..."

"Yeah, I looked at your resume," Josh interrupted. "And I read your cover letter. I'm just going to ask you a few things... can you tell me a little about yourself?"

Now Finn was feeling nervous. No doubt everything he said wold be repeated to the congressman. "Well... I graduated from high school in 2012 and ever since then I've been trying to find my place in the world. I go to University of Lima, but it's been a challenge. When I was in high school, I played football, basketball and baseball, and I was also in the glee club. I was our male lead singer and I played the drums for some of our numbers too, and we won Nationals our senior year." He knew he should probably talk about his post high school life. "After graduation, I was in the army for a while, but I had trouble with handling a gun so I was discharged. I helped out with the glee club that I was in, but then it was disbanded due to lack of funding. Right now I've been working at my stepfather's tire shop. I thought this would be something fun and different to do, and I do care about this country and want it to go in a better direction." He just hoped he hadn't said anything stupid. He didn't know very much about politics. In fact, he was sure he wouldn't have even gotten an interview had it not been a friend of Burt's running for president.

"I see," Josh said. "So, Finn, tell me, what are some things about this country you'd like to change?"

"Well, for one thing, we need to create more jobs," Finn admitted. "I also think we need health care for everyone, and more funding for education, and that gay marriage should be legal in all 50 states."

"You think like the congressman, I see," Josh said. "Now, I was talking with him, and assuming your background check comes back okay, we do have a position for you on the campaign. He looked over your resume as well, and your stepfather put in a good word for you with him."

Finn nodded. He was worried the congressman was just giving him this job because he felt sorry for Finn. Burt knew how unhappy Finn had been since he graduated high school. But this was about getting back into the game, and it would probably look good on his resume... but with his luck, the congressman would probably end up losing the election...

"Are you okay, Finn?" Josh asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, I just didn't expect to get a job on a presidential campaign," Finn said. If his stepdad wasn't friends with the presidential candidate, he was sure he wouldn't be getting this job. But regardless of the circumstances - he was getting it.

"You seem like a great young man, and for this position, we try to find young people of promise," Josh said. "We were thinking that we'd have you be an aide to the congressman."

An aide? What would he do as an aide? "Can you tell me about that job?" Finn managed to ask.

Josh handed Finn a piece of paper. "Here's a list of what your responsibilities would be. You'll be traveling around the country with him all the time, so it'll be very consuming. You'll need to help with answering calls, talking to voters, making reservations, running errands for him, helping out on the campaign plane with paperwork, stuff like that."

At least Finn didn't think he could screw that up. "That sounds doable." Then he looked at the bottom of the paper. The position would pay $5000 a month.

"You sure you're up to it?" Josh asked. "I've been involved with politics most of my life and it's not an easy business, I'm warning you now. There will be late nights and early mornings. People will be nasty. Your every move will be watched. Anything you do between now and Election Day will reflect on the congressman's campaign, and on the congressman himself."

It wasn't like Finn went out and got drunk or anything like that. "Yeah, I'm sure I'm up to it."

"Well, we'll need you next week," Josh continued. "We'll be hitting the road and the congressman will need you. Like I said, he saw your resume and he gave me the okay. All you need to do is fill out the paperwork."

Finn couldn't believe it. "This soon?"

Josh handed Finn some paperwork. "Well, I told you that things can be unexpected. Just pack about two weeks worth of clothes, you probably won't be getting to do laundry very often."

"Okay," Finn said. Sure, this was a big change, but he was just glad that he'd been offered a job.

x

Rachel was completely miserable.

Every day she mentally beat herself up for doing That's So Rachel. She'd made a complete fool of herself on national television, being on a horrible show with a horrible script. Nearly every media outlet had criticized her and the show, and she'd had to flee LA and go home, only to find out that her dads were divorcing and moving to two separate cities. Right now, Hiram was living in Cleveland and LeRoy was living in Cincinnati. Then again, Rachel's problems had started before That's So Rachel, even if that was the final straw.

It all began after high school graduation. Finn had put her on that train and she spent the summer in New York, feeling like a fish out of water. Then Rachel's first semester at NYADA had been a nightmare. Cassandra July had targeted her and the other kids at NYADA didn't like her. Of course there was Brody - she was lonely, and he was showing interest in her, so she took it. But every time she did something with Brody, she found herself wishing she was doing it with Finn instead. When she went home to Lima for Grease, she'd seen Finn, and she wanted so badly to get back together. But then Cassandra insulted her on the phone and she started crying. Finn assumed she was crying over Brody, and he told her that he didn't think they should contact each other anymore. So Rachel stuck with that, and to this day, she hadn't contacted Finn. But she missed him so much. Not a day went by that she didn't think about him and wonder how he was doing. But he didn't want her to contact him, and she should respect that.

Knowing that Finn didn't want to get back together, Rachel threw herself into things with Brody. She invited him to move in eventually, but he was always out late. Eventually, Santana found some suspicious items, and Rachel, Kurt and Santana discovered that Brody was a gigolo. Since Finn had told Rachel no contact, she didn't return to Lima for Mr. Schue's wedding, even though she wanted to. Now that she didn't even have someone to use as a Finn replacement, she wished so badly that she and Finn could be together again. But Finn didn't want to be together.

Rachel had gotten the part of Fanny Brice, but not without a struggle. Shortly after Rachel got the part, she heard that the glee club had been cut by Principal Sylvester after they placed second at Nationals. Kurt and Santana went back for the farewell program, but Rachel stayed home, even though once again she wanted to.

Rachel threw herself into rehearsals, but she did make some irresponsible decisions. The director was very controlling, and when Rachel pretended to have cut her hair, she nearly got fired. Overwhelmed by school and rehearsal, she decided to drop out of school. And then she got the That's So Rachel offer and quit Funny Girl.

That's So Rachel was probably the worst decision she'd ever made. The Pilot drew criticism from nearly every major group and media outlet and was pulled before it could go to series. Rachel returned home in humiliation, hoping that she could rebuild her life, only to find out that her dads were divorcing and selling her childhood home. Humiliated, Rachel hadn't contacted any of her friends since That's So Rachel. She wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to be her friend anymore, with a show like that in her name.

After That's So Rachel, Rachel couldn't get a job interview, not even at fast food restaurants. She'd been in Cincinnati with LeRoy at first and couldn't find a job there, and now she was in Cleveland with Hiram and hadn't found a job here either. Desperate, she began applying for every job she could find on the internet, some in other cities. Surely someone could find a place for her... right?

So it had been a shock for Rachel when of all things, she'd gotten a phone call from a campaign from an up-and-coming congressman running for president. Rachel had applied for a job on the presidential campaign when she read about him online and thought she liked where he stood on the issues - but she didn't think she'd get a call back when she couldn't even get calls back when she applied to be a hotel room cleaner.

Here she was walking around Union Station in DC, on her way to the Capitol for her interview. As she walked up to the Capitol, she thought of Finn. Burt was in congress, too. Did Burt know this congressman? Had Finn met him?

She couldn't let herself think like this. She finally had a job interview, and she had to make herself look good. Rachel checked in with the receptionist at the Capitol and was escorted up to the congressman's office, where a blond woman was waiting for her. "You're Rachel Berry?" the woman asked. "I'm Anna, I'm the deputy campaign manager."

"Hi," Rachel said, finding herself getting nervous. "Yeah, I'm Rachel." At least this woman hadn't said anything about That's So Rachel. If Rachel got this job, maybe it could help her get some self esteem back.

"I'm sorry the campaign manager couldn't meet with you today, but he had to go to a press conference with the congressman," Anna said. "But both the congressman and the campaign manager looked at your resume..."

Oh no. What did they think? Were they disqualifying her from That's So Rachel? "Well, I've never done anything like this before," Rachel managed to say. "But I've always cared about lots of the issues that are going to be issues in this election, and I think the congressman has good ideas."

"Well, we definitely got that idea in your cover letter, Rachel," Anna said. "So, what are some issues that are important to you?"

"Well, I was really involved in the arts at my high school and arts funding is being cut from public schools across the country, and I think that needs to stop," Rachel said. "I was also raised by gay parents, and it's important to me that gay marriage become legal in all 50 states."

"Have you ever been involved with a campaign before?" Anna asked.

Yes. She had. She'd helped Finn campaign for Burt. Bt that was a soft spot. "I did some canvassing when my friend's dad was running for office when I was in high school, but other than that, I didn't. Part of what appealed to me about this was it would be something different." She took a deep breath. "After graduating high school, my life's been all over the place, and I think doing something new and different would be a good thing. We can work for a brighter America," she said, using the campaign slogan.

"Well, from talking with the congressman and the campaign manager, we were thinking of hiring you to be an aide on the campaign," Anna told Rachel. "We can tell you're special by looking over your resume. We hired another aide as well and he's also from Ohio. This is a position we typically give to young people. You'll help make arrangements for the congressman, run errands for us, do some canvassing, stuff like that. There will be challenges. It's a difficult thing to do emotionally and physically, but I can tell you it'll be worth it." She handed Rachel some paperwork.

Rachel couldn't believe it. She was being offered a job. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if she was being offered this job because the congressman and his staff felt sorry for her, but at least she had a job. Someone was willing to take a chance on her. And it felt so good. "Wow, thank you so much!"

"You'll need to be back here in DC to hit the road next week," Anna told Rachel. "Is that okay with you?"

Of course it was okay. She was finally going to be doing something productive with herself. She finally hadn't been rejected for a job.

After some more discussions about the job, Rachel started to leave the capitol. As she walked toward the elevator, she noticed an office with a familiar name on it that she hadn't noticed on her way in: Burt Hummel. She didn't expect Burt's office to be on this floor. She would have thought the offices would be sorted alphabetically, or by state.

She almost considered knocking on the door and saying hi. She missed Finn. She missed Kurt. She missed Burt and Carole. She hoped that they were doing well.

Then she heard the elevator beep. It was here. She put her nostalgic thoughts out of her head. For the first time since That's So Rachel, someone was showing confidence in her. And it felt so good.

 _Chapter 2 preview: Finchel meet the presidential candidate - and see each other for the first time since Glease. What will they think when they find out that they are working on the same campaign? How will it affect the campaign as it takes off?_

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 2!_


	2. Chapter 2: Three Years Later

_Hi everybody! Thanks so much for all your reviews on the first chapter. I really appreciated them! And congratulations to my reader Boris Yelstin for correctly guessing who Finchel are campaigning for. The politicians in this story are borrowed from The West Wing, since I didn't know if it would be a good idea to use real politicians. In this chapter, Finchel see each other again, and this is my first time writing them talking for the first time after so long, but I like to think I did well. This is also my first time using characters from another show in a glee fic, so we'll see how that goes. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 2: Three Years Later

"You know that you can always call us if you want to come home, right?" Carole asked. Today was the day. Finn was off to DC to take off for the campaign. He didn't know when he'd be home again. He wasn't even sure where he'd be at this time next week.

"Mom, I'll be fine," Finn said as he paced around the airport. True, he was nervous. But he was just glad to have something meaningful in his life again.

Burt was clearly trying to lighten the mood. "You know your new boss happens to be one of my best friends in congress, so if you try to get up to anything, he'll call me."

Finn managed to laugh. "I won't cause any trouble, I promise." He looked down at his suitcase, which he'd already adorned with a campaign bumper sticker.

"I always worry about Burt and it's just a congressional campaign for him," Carole said. "This is a big, high profile presidential campaign. I don't want people to hurt you..."

"Mom, I handled Sue Sylvester," Finn reassured his mom. "I think I can handle anything. You were all for me going..."

"I guess now that you're actually leaving, it's hitting me that you'll be gone," Carole sighed. "I know you lived in the dorms on campus, but it was close enough to meet you for lunch. Both our boys out in the world..." She looked at Burt.

Finn smiled. Kurt had been thrilled when he heard about Finn's new job and so happy for Finn. His one precondition was that Finn would get time off to come to his and Blaine's wedding after they both had graduated from NYADA. "I won't have to worry about getting Kurt and Blaine's votes."

"Anyone else know what you're doing?" Burt asked.

"I told my friends, they're happy for me," Finn said.

An announcement came up over the airport. "Flight 717 to Washington DC Boarding."

"That's my flight," Finn said. He leaned in and hugged his mom.

"You take care of yourself, okay honey?" Carole asked.

Finn smiled as he kissed his mom on the cheek. "I will." He then leaned over and gave Burt a hug. "Thanks for putting in a good word for me."

"Hey, he hired you because he knows you're special," Burt said. "Go get 'em."

Finn waved to his parents as he took off to catch the plane. "You can do this," he told himself. He thought back to the various congress dinners he'd been to with Burt and Carole. He was pretty sure he'd met the man who he was campaigning for at one of them and that he'd been nice, and that was the closest to having someone he knew.

The plane took off. There was no turning back now.

x

"Are you sure this is going to work?" LeRoy asked Rachel on the phone. "I think Bob Russell has a better shot at beating President Vinick than Matt Santos..."

"Daddy, you should just be glad that I was able to get a job after That's So Rachel," Rachel sighed. It turned out both her dads were planning to vote for a different presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries. While Hiram was glad that Rachel had gotten a job, LeRoy did seem slightly disappointed.

"Well, I don't like our president, but..." LeRoy began.

Rachel groaned. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her goodbye phone call. She was leaving for DC today and she didn't know when she'd even be back in Ohio. She'd met up with LeRoy for lunch before she left, but most of the week had been spent getting ready to leave. Now Hiram was taking her to the airport. "We want to get that man the country elected president unseated, don't we?"

"Yeah," LeRoy admitted.

Hiram looked over at Rachel. "Rachel, we're here."

Rachel nodded, then turned back to her phone. "Daddy, I'm at the airport. I'll text you when I get to DC, okay?"

"Okay, bye baby," LeRoy said before hanging up the phone.

"What was your father doing?" Hiram asked.

Rachel could tell animosity existed between her dads still. "He was just giving me a hard time for working for a candidate who isn't his first choice."

"Well, Rachel, I recognize that this is your choice, not his," Hiram said. "And I know you'll do great things for that campaign."

Rachel felt good to hear that, but at the same time, she knew this was another round of what had been going on since her dads got divorced: both constantly tried to prove to her that he was a better dad. "Thanks. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Rachel said.

Hiram leaned over and gave Rachel a hug. "Let me know when you get there."

Rachel gave her dad a hug. "I will." She took her suitcase and walked to the plane, hoping she wouldn't screw this up. As Rachel sat on the plane, she wished she could call one of her friends to tell them that she'd gotten a job, that her life was finally getting back on track. But after That's So Rachel, she'd deleted all her social media accounts and had her phone number changed. She wasn't even sure where most of her friends were now. She had to admit, she regretted cutting off contact with everyone.

Once she landed in DC, this was going to be the real thing. This was bigger than anything that she'd ever done. She was going to have far more scrutiny than she had in Funny Girl or That's So Rachel - and this time around, they weren't probably going to be as forgiving. Would people recognize her name if they saw it in the papers? She'd always wanted everyone to know her name. People knew it because she'd made a fool out of herself. Could this be a chance to redeem herself? She hoped so.

"Attention. We are now landing in Washington DC."

Rachel picked up her suitcase. Here she was. She knew that someone from the campaign would be meeting her at the airport. Everything would work out, right?

x

Finn got off the plane and walked around the airport. He knew that he'd be picked up by someone with the campaign and then go over to the campaign's new DC office to meet with the congressman before taking off tomorrow. Where were they going tomorrow? Finn didn't even know.

Feeling a little tired from the flight, Finn stopped at an airport concession stand to get a drink. Realizing he wanted to get on the congressman's good side, he picked up another water bottle, too. After all, he'd be running errands for the man, why not buy him a drink from the beginning?

As Finn walked around more, he finally saw the campaign manager who'd interviewed him last week. "Hey Finn," Josh said. "How was your flight?"

"It was good," Finn said. "Not too bad."

"So, we're picking up the other aide, too," Josh said. "Her flight should be here in ten minutes or so. We also thought it would be good for you to meet her, since you two will be spending lots of time together."

Her? The other aide was a her? "Yeah, that'd be great," Finn said. Finn couldn't help but think - what would Rachel think of him spending so much time all over the country with another girl? He and Rachel had always wanted to go all over the world together... he couldn't let himself think like that. Rachel hadn't contacted him after he told her no contact. He'd wanted to go see her in Funny Girl. He'd watched That's So Rachel and been embarrassed for her... He tried to get his mind off things. "So, where are we headed to first?" Finn asked Josh.

Josh's answer hit a chord with Finn. "New York. We're leaving in two days... spending a little bit of time here to get things ready..."

An announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Flight 716 arriving from Cleveland."

"That's the flight the other aide's on," Josh told Finn. "Let's get over to the gate."

Finn nodded and walked over to the gate. Cleveland. The other aide was from Cleveland. Another Ohioan. Finn watched as people walked off the plane before he heard Josh say, "There she is, I recognize her from the photos..." Not thinking, Finn followed Josh over as he scanned the airport. Then hearing Josh's words interrupted Finn's thoughts. "Hi, you're Rachel? I'm Josh, the campaign manager for the Santos for President campaign..."

Finn gulped. It was her. Standing an arm's length away from him was Rachel. Finn barely managed to speak. "Rachel..."

x

"Yeah, I'm Rachel," Rachel said as she shook hands with the campaign manager before she looked at who was standing next to him. "Finn..."

"Oh, you two have already met?" Josh asked.

Rachel was having trouble breathing. She never thought she'd see Finn again. Yet he was right here. "Yeah... we've met..."

"That's good, because like I was telling Finn, you two will be spending lots of time together," Josh said.

Rachel didn't know what to say. What was he talking about? "Wait," Finn said. "Rachel, you're working on the Santos campaign?"

"Yeah, I'm an aide," Rachel said. "You're working on the campaign too?"

"I am," Finn said. "I'm an aide, too."

Finn was working on this campaign, too? Rachel didn't know what to do or say... not with one of her supervisors in front of them. She looked at Finn. He was wearing a polo and a pair of khakis, and he looked like he'd lost some weight. He had the same dimples though, and he still had 'the fin.'

"Now that I think about it, I do think your resumes said you went to the same high school," Josh commented.

"Yeah, we did," Finn said. "We haven't seen each other in years though."

Rachel was glad Finn had decided to leave their history out of the conversation. Rachel wasn't sure if she wanted to break down or not. She'd missed Finn so much and dreamed of reuniting with him... but she never imagined that the day they reunited would be so awkward.

"You two ready to go?" Josh asked. "We've got to get to the office."

"Yeah," Finn and Rachel said at the same time. Even after all these years, to some extent, they were still in sync.

x

The ride to the office from the airport was quiet. Finn kept looking over at Rachel. What had she been doing since That's So Rachel? He was glad to see she was dressed in a more classic Rachel Berry way - she was in a blue and green plaid dress, not one of those short black dresses she wore a lot in New York. She was pretty as ever.

Finn didn't expect Rachel to get involved with a political campaign. After all, she lived and breathed performing. Surely someone would have hired Rachel even after that TV show flopped, right?

"Are you two okay?" Josh asked from the driver's seat. "You're being pretty quiet back there."

"Jet lag," Finn and Rachel both said at the same time. Once again, they'd said the same thing at the same time. Finn was amazed that they still thought alike.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it, we do a lot of traveling," Josh said. "Anyway, we're here."

Finn looked out the window to see a building with a huge sign that said "Matt Santos for President." He'd never seen a campaign office like this before - Burt's congressional literature was always passed out at schools and stores, and they'd rent a place to store the literature. As they walked inside, Finn looked at Rachel, trying to get the nerve to say something. "So... how've you been?" he managed to say.

"I'm fine," Rachel said. "I'm just glad they hired me..."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"No one would hire me after That's So Rachel," Rachel said quietly, clearly hoping no one else would hear. All over the office, there were people on computers and phones, with campaign signs taped everywhere. "I applied for every job I could find online. I thought he would be a good president from reading about him online, so I figured I'd apply... and here I am." She gave Finn a small smile, and Finn felt some of the tension go away. "What about you?"

"The congressman's friends with Burt, so Burt suggested I apply," Finn said. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Rachel about how difficult the past few years had been. Why did this have to be so awkward? For years he'd been wanting to see Rachel again and now they were both struggling to find things to say.

"You two can sit down here while we wait for the congressman to get back," Josh told Finn and Rachel. He handed them each some papers. "Here's some information for you two."

"Thanks," Finn said. He then realized he hadn't texted his parents yet. He sent them a text saying he was in DC, then texted the person he knew would get how he was feeling. He sent a text to Kurt: "Guess who the other aide is?"

x

Looking at the documents in the folder, Rachel kept stealing glances at Finn. She managed to speak again. "So, if he's friends with Burt, have you met him before?"

"Yeah, at a congress dinner," Finn said. "He was nice, from what I remember."

"That's good," Rachel managed to say. "Like I said, doing my research online, I was going to vote for him in the primaries anyway."

"It's kind of weird, how you and I are working for a guy who might end up being the president," Finn said, giving Rachel a half smile.

"I know," Rachel said.

Finally, Josh came in with the presidential candidate himself. "Sir, this is Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, your new aides."

Rachel had to admit, she was feeling a little uneasy right now. She was standing in front of a guy who might end up being president. "Hi," she managed to say, holding out her hand.

The congressman took her hand and shook it. "Hi, nice to meet you." He turned to Finn. "Good to see you again, I remember you from the congress dinner."

"Yeah, good to see you again, too," Finn said, shaking hands and then reaching into his bag. "I got you some water. I know that it's probably not very cold by now... but you're doing a lot of talking and some water would be a good thing."

Rachel realized Finn hadn't changed. That was definitely a Finn type thing to do. "Well, thank you Finn..."

"I made cookies for you," Rachel said, suddenly remembering. She reached into her bag and got out the box, handing them to the candidate.

"Rachel makes good cookies," Finn said as Rachel smiled over at him. At least Finn didn't seem completely uncomfortable.

"You've had her cookies?" the congressman asked.

"Yeah, we went to high school together," Rachel said. She didn't want the man who would (hopefully) be the president to think she and Finn were unstable, so they could let him think that they just went to high school together. "We didn't even know we were both going to be working on this campaign."

"Well, I could tell that both of you are what this campaign needs from looking at your resumes," Santos told Finn and Rachel. "You two excited to go to New York this week?"

Rachel couldn't help but wonder, would she run into Kurt or Blaine there? Or Sam or Artie or Mercedes or Santana or Brittany? "Yeah," Rachel managed to say.

"Me too," Finn added.

It did make Rachel feel somewhat good that Finn seemed to be acting similar to how she was. They were in a room with a man who might end up being president, and Rachel was afraid to say much of anything in fear of saying something stupid. Luckily, the man himself spoke. "So, can you two tell me a little about yourselves? You'll be with me throughout the entire campaign, I should know about you. What do you guys like?"

No. Rachel didn't want to talk about That's So Rachel. Luckily, Finn spoke first, talking about football and leading the glee club to a national title and teaching the glee club. Finally, Rachel spoke. "He and I both led our glee club to a national title, we were the leads of the club," she said proudly.

"So you two knew each other pretty well?" Santos asked.

"Yeah, we kind of fell out of touch after high school," Finn said.

Rachel took a deep breath. "It is nice to see Finn again, though."

Another campaign staff member came in. "Sorry to take you away from our newest additions, but the New York Times is on the phone and they need a quote from you for an article that's due tomorrow..."

Santos looked over at Finn and Rachel. "You guys were warned, a million things happen at once here."

"Yeah, we were warned," Finn said. "Nice to see you again, sir."

"Yeah, nice to meet you, Congressman," Rachel added.

"We'll be saying Mr. President by the end of this," Finn added.

"He always tells us to call him Matt," the other staffer said.

"And that includes you two," Santos told Finn and Rachel. "I'll be back soon to go over the next few days with you guys, but I've got to take this call."

When Finn and Rachel were alone in the room again, Rachel felt the uneasiness coming back. Why did seeing Finn again have to be so complicated? Why couldn't they have just run into each other's arms and picked up from where they left off at graduation?

x

The campaign was going to New York first. Finn hadn't been to New York since that visit back in October 2012, when he and Rachel had their final breakup. He would always come up with an excuse to avoid going when his parents went to visit Kurt. There were too many reminders there. Finn wasn't sure if he was up to going back to New York. But he had to act professional now. He'd been doing well enough with Rachel sitting right next to him. He'd feel comfortable one minute and uncomfortable the next... why did love have to make things complicated? He was only fooling himself if he said he wasn't still in love with Rachel. The man running for president himself had given them one of those looks Finn was all too familiar with - Finn knew that Matt Santos knew something was there between him and Rachel. And Finn was glad she was here, he just wished that things could be easier.

"You were right, he's nice," Rachel managed to say.

"Yeah," Finn said. "So, ready for our campaign event in New York?"

"Well, I know we'll end up winning New York in the real election, so I don't know if New York's necessary for our first big campaign event," Rachel said.

Rachel still had optimism. Finn felt himself turned on. "Well, Vinick won New York in 2012..."

"I prefer to pretend that election didn't happen," Rachel groaned.

"Don't we all," Finn said. "But I have a feeling this one will be better."

"Yeah, me too," Rachel said. They both began looking at campaign literature, but not without stealing glances at each other without the other one knowing it.

 _Chapter 3 preview: The campaign heads to New York and Finchel continue dealing with having to work together after three years apart. Other Glee characters are at the campaign event - what will it be like for Rachel to see them after not talking in years?_

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 3!_


	3. Chapter 3: New York

_Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. I was worried this story wouldn't be successful, since it's my first time using characters from another show and because I know politics are a sensitive issue. (I will try to be as sensitive as possible in case any Republicans are reading this!) I think this chapter was my favorite one to write so far. Hope you enjoy and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 3: New York

The campaign senior staff had been right - this was a very busy job.

Finn lay in his bed in the DC hotel. He'd gotten up at 6 this morning to go to a press conference where the congressman was announcing his new hires. For the first time in his life, he'd needed to speak to newspaper reporters - and it made him jittery than he thought it would. What if he said the wrong thing? He wasn't fired after the press conference, so that was something.

The morning was spent tagging along to shoot campaign ads. Finn and Rachel were the only staff members who went along, in case their candidate needed them to run any errands. Finn was still not sure if he could talk to Rachel, so he mostly watched the ads being shot. He had to admit - the ads seemed pretty good and he liked the messages of them.

Finn and Rachel also had to make arrangements for appearances over the next two weeks. Josh had given them a list of cities to visit, and they'd put together a schedule that had the campaign stopping in 18 states over the next two weeks. Finn hadn't even been to 18 states in his life, but he had a feeling by Election Day, he'd have been to all 50.

Most of the rest of the day was spent doing campaign paperwork and making phone calls, trying to find typical Democratic voters who'd be willing to volunteer for the campaign. Even though the Iowa Caucus was about five months away, signs for the Democratic candidates were beginning to appear - and there were a lot more Russell signs than Santos signs. At least in the parts of the country Finn had seen.

Later in the day, Finn went out to dinner with some of the other campaign staff members. It was a good thing the campaign paid for all their meals, because Finn knew there was no way he could keep affording three meals out a day. Rachel had not gone out on this dinner, and Finn almost considered telling the other staffers about their history and how surprised he was to see her again. But then he decided that he should keep a professional image here. If something with Rachel was meant to happen, it would happen on its own... right?

Whether it happened on its own or Finn and Rachel would make something happen, Finn knew that his feelings for Rachel hadn't gone away. He was happy to see her again... he just needed to get up the nerve to have a real conversation about the last three years with her.

Finn's thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID. It was Kurt. He picked up the phone. "Hey!"

"Finn, you sent me a 'guess who the other aide is' text yesterday and I've tried calling you, but you still haven't told me," Kurt said. "Who is it?"

"Rachel," Finn said.

"What?" Kurt gasped. "Rachel Berry?"

"Yeah," Finn said.

"Holy crap!" Kurt rambled. "Rachel Berry - working on a presidential campaign? So that's what she's doing... I haven't seen or heard from her since That's So Rachel..."

"None of us have," Finn said. "Well, I hadn't in three years..."

"How is she?" Kurt asked.

"She's being shy, which isn't even Rachel-like," Finn admitted. "She said that no one's hired her since That's So Rachel, so she was surprised she got this job."

"Well, as much as it sucks, I have a bad feeling Vinick's going to get re-elected..." Kurt began.

"Hey, Santos has me and Rachel working for him!" Finn interrupted. "I think that's a good thing."

"Yeah, of course it is," Kurt said. "So, how is the new job?"

"It's busy, but I do like it," Finn said. "It feels good to be part of something special again. The other people on the campaign are cool, and I think Santos is the man this country needs as a leader... he has great ideas. And of course, it's good to have Rachel here..."

"You sound kind of tired," Kurt said.

"I am tired, I had a full day, and tomorrow we're headed to New York, we have our first big rally," Finn explained. "There's going to be other big names there..."

"Look at you, mingling with famous people," Kurt said. "I just wish I could come if I didn't have to work at the diner."

"That sucks," Finn said.

"Can you ask Rachel to call me?" Kurt asked. "I really miss her."

"Yeah, of course," Finn said.

"Well, I'm really happy for you, Finn," Kurt said. "This is the best you've sounded in years, even if you are tired."

"I'm just glad to have some purpose in my life again," Finn admitted.

"Call me next time you guys are in New York, okay?" Kurt asked.

"I will," Finn said.

"And Finn -" Kurt began. "Don't rush things with Rachel. Take it slow. Everything will work out."

"I know," Finn said. He didn't intend to move too quickly. He did hope that things would work out, though...

x

Rachel heard her alarm go off. Yesterday had been one of the busiest days of her life, but it was fun, too. She'd never done anything like this before, and maybe that was why yesterday was the first day she hadn't felt self-pity since That's So Rachel.

The other campaign staff were nice. She and Finn were definitely the youngest staff members, but there were other people in their late twenties or their thirties. She and Finn had spent most of the day together, but in the evening she'd gone out to dinner with some of the other female campaign staff members. And she was definitely glad when the campaign stylist approved all her clothes - she didn't want another bad Vogue type makeover.

Rachel went downstairs for breakfast, where she saw Finn sitting at one table with some other staff members. Some of the girls she'd gone out with last night were there, so she took a seat. "Hey."

"You sleep well?" Finn asked Rachel.

"Yeah, did you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said.

"Well, good thing," one of the guys named Bram said. "You two got your initiation on how busy this gets yesterday."

"We did," Finn said. "But I'll admit, I like being busy."

"Good," said another girl named Louise. "Because we're going to be busy all the time between now and Election Day."

"If we make it past the primaries," Rachel said.

"Oh, come on," Finn said. "We're going to wipe the floor with everyone else in the primaries, and then we'll unseat Vinick in November."

"Well, aren't you optimistic?" asked one of the guys, Otto.

Rachel had to admit - she was still turned on by Finn's optimism. "Hey, I was joking. Of course we'll get past the primaries." The primaries were a few months away. She couldn't let herself get nervous. At least not yet.

"Have you two been to New York before?" asked one of the other staff members, a girl named Ronna.

Rachel paused. Of course she and Finn had been to New York. That was the site of some of their best memories - and some of their worst memories. "Yeah, I went to college there," Rachel said. She didn't want to talk about her Broadway run just yet. The campaign had hired her even after seeing her resume, but her unprofessional behavior was not something she was proud of.

"When we were in high school, the National championships for our glee club were held there our junior year," Finn said.

Yes they were. That had been one of the best weekends of Rachel's life. The date, the kiss, singing that amazing song Finn wrote for them... back then, everything felt so right.

"So you two can sing?" one of the staff members named Amy asked. "Just to warn you then, the congressman likes having live music at his rallies, so he may have you two sing at some point."

Rachel would like to sing with Finn again. But would he be willing to sing with her?

x

The bus ride from DC to New York took faster than Finn thought it would. He did have his nerves about going back to New York about everything that happened there, but he knew that it was important for the campaign to spend lots of time in the states that had gone Democratic in 2008 and Republican in 2012 - New York, California, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Indiana.

When the bus arrived in New York, Finn noticed a piece of information he must have missed at meetings - the rally was being held in Central Park. The speech would be made on Bow Bridge, of all places.

That was where the date had began... the best date of Finn's life. Finn wondered how Rachel felt about being back at Central Park and Bow Bridge. Trying to distract himself, Finn went up to the congressman, hoping for a task to take his mind off things. "Sir, is there anything I can get for you?"

"Is this the new aide you were telling me about?" a blond woman Finn didn't recognize asked.

"Yeah, this is Finn," Santos said. "Finn, this is my wife, Helen. And I don't need anything right now. You excited to be in New York?"

Finn forced a smile. "Yeah. I've been here before - when I was a junior in high school, my show choir had their national championships here in New York. Rachel and I sang the duet and were leads in the group number and we finished in the top fifteen." Finn couldn't believe he'd just said that. He'd told himself that he wouldn't talk too much about his history with Rachel, but it all just came out. To the potential president and first lady, nonetheless.

"Rachel being the other aide?" Mrs. Santos asked.

"Yeah," Finn said.

Josh came over to Finn. "Finn, can you and Rachel maybe hand these signs out to some of the people in the crowd?" He handed Finn a stack of signs.

"Yeah, sure," Finn said.

"Where's Rachel?" Josh asked.

Sure enough, then Rachel came in with two young kids. The boy looked about eight and the girl looked about five. "Mommy, this is Rachel, she works for Daddy," the girl said to Mrs. Santos. "She was listening to Let It Go with me, and she knows all the words, and she can sing it better than Elsa!"

Finn had a feeling that Rachel's version of that song would be better than the original. He had to crack out one of his half smiles. "Rachel's a really good singer."

"Well, apparently, so are you, if you two could win a national show choir championship," Santos said. "Would you two ever be willing to sing at a rally?"

Finn paused. He would love to sing with Rachel again... but would she be willing to sing with him? "Yeah, maybe sometime," Finn managed to say.

"Sir, I almost forgot to tell you, the guy who was going to sing at today's rally got a throat infection and can't perform," Josh said. "I was thinking we could just play our records for longer..."

No live entertainment for the first big rally? Maybe Finn could sing with Rachel today... but would she be willing to? "Well, if it's okay with Finn, I guess we could go on today..."

"Great! I was planning to have the singer do 'Don't Stop Believing' right before my speech, do you two know that song?" Santos asked.

Did they know that song? Yes. They did. But it was better to not talk about the history that song had with them. "Yeah, we sang it in glee club once," Finn said. "If we're going to sing at the rally, maybe we should get these signs handed out."

"Yeah," Rachel said, turning to the Santos family. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Mrs. Santos said before Finn and Rachel headed toward the crowd.

As Finn and Rachel began handing out the "Matt Santos for president" signs, Finn turned to Rachel. "Don't Stop Believing, huh?"

"Yeah, at least it's a song we know that we have to sing last minute," Rachel said.

"We can be thankful for that," Finn said. "The first full song we ever sang together."

"I know, it's crazy," Rachel said. "The weird thing is, other than singing along to Let It Go just now, I haven't even sang on my own time since That's So Rachel..."

Finn couldn't believe it. That wasn't the Rachel Berry he knew. "What?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "You know, That's So Rachel really hurt my self-esteem... and I was pretty down all the time."

"But you're an amazing singer," Finn told Rachel.

"I thought I was a good actress too," Rachel said. "I wouldn't be surprised if no one ever hired me again after That's So Rachel. I'm just glad they were willing to take a chance on me here."

"I'm lucky they were willing to hire me," Finn said. "I haven't done much with myself since the glee club was disbanded."

Finn and Rachel began handing out the signs to the people in the crowd when they heard a familiar voice. "Well, it's Finchel."

Finn and Rachel both turned and saw Santana and Brittany. Finn knew this was the first time that Rachel had seen anyone from back home other than him since That's So Rachel. "Hey," Finn said.

"Rachel's still alive?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, you still exist," Santana said to Rachel. "Where have you been? And what are you two up to?"

"We work for Matt Santos now, we're campaign aides," Finn said. "I was surprised when I showed up to start and she was here."

"Yeah, this isn't the type of job I'd expect you to get, Berry," Santana said.

"It's the only job I could get," Rachel said. "No one would hire me after the TV show."

"That show was weird," Brittany said.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Rachel admitted.

"So, where have you been?" Santana asked Rachel.

"I was living with my dads in Cincinnati and Cleveland," Rachel said.

Finn noticed that Rachel was uncomfortable. "We should probably finish getting these signs handed out. Good to see you guys."

"You too," said Brittany as Finn and Rachel left.

x

Rachel had been nervous to be going back to New York. She didn't expect to see people she knew at the rally, though she guessed anything was possible. And singing with Finn again? After all these years? She was sure their voices would still sound good together... but she wasn't sure if she felt ready to do it. She couldn't talk about her and Finn's history. At least not yet.

"Wow, we managed to get rid of all those signs," Finn said, interrupting Rachel's thoughts. "I wasn't sure if that many people would be here today... I mean, he's consistently been trailing Russell in the polls..."

"Yeah, both my dads are voting for Russell," Rachel groaned.

"Hopefully we can convince them to do otherwise," Finn said.

"Yeah, I hope," Rachel said as she and Finn got backstage. A few local officials spoke to get the crowd riled up - and then it was time for Finn and Rachel to go on stage. Their first time singing together in three years. They would be singing right before the candidate himself came on stage, so they had to get the crowd excited. After their performance, Finn and Rachel had to announce that "the next president of the United States" was coming on stage.

Rachel felt her nerves working up as the music began. What if someone recognized her as the girl who made a fool out of herself on That's So Rachel, or the girl who left Broadway after a month. The last thing she needed to do was to give someone a reason to vote against her candidate... or get fired when she finally had a job...

But the music was starting, and she and Finn stepped on stage. To Rachel's relief, the crowd was cheering and waving their signs, and she and Finn sounded just as good as they did the first time they sang this song together six years ago.

 _Finn: Just a small town girl_

 _Livin' in a lonely world_

 _She took the midnight train goin' anywhere_

 _Rachel: Just a city boy_

 _Born and raised in south Detroit_

 _He took the midnight train goin' anywhere_

 _Finn: A singer in a smoky room_

 _Rachel: A smell of wine and cheap perfume_

 _Finn and Rachel: For a smile they can share the night_

 _It goes on and on and on and on_

 _Strangers waiting_

 _Up and down the boulevard_

 _Their shadows searching in the night_

 _Streetlights people_

 _Living just to find emotion_

 _Hiding somewhere in the night_

 _Rachel: Working hard to get my fill_

 _Everybody wants a thrill_

 _Finn and Rachel: Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time_

 _Rachel: Some will win_

 _Finn and Rachel: Some will lose_

 _Some were born to sing the blues_

 _Oh, the movie never ends_

 _It goes on and on and on and on_

 _Strangers waiting_

 _Up and down the boulevard_

 _Their shadows searching in the night_

 _Streetlight people_

 _Living just to find emotion_

 _Hiding somewhere in the night_

 _Finn and Rachel: Don't stop believin'_

 _Hold on to that feelin'_

 _Streetlight people_

 _Don't stop believin'_

 _Hold on to that feelin'_

 _Streetlight people_

 _Don't stop!_

At the end of the song, Rachel got the loudest applause she'd ever gotten, and it felt so good to know that people were still willing to cheer for her. She grabbed her microphone, ready to make her introduction. "Hello, New York! Is everyone having fun today?"

The crowd cheered again, and Rachel let Finn take over. "Are you all excited to be here?" Finn asked as the crowd got even louder. "Well, please join us in welcoming the next president of the United States, Matt Santos!"

The crowd erupted as Finn and Rachel exited Bow Bridge together to go wait with the other campaign staff and listen to the speech. Singing with Finn again had been fun, and Rachel leaned up to Finn and whispered, "We sounded good, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Finn said.

Rachel couldn't believe she and Finn had done that - sang together again, when she never thought they would. She was feeling awkward and not knowing what to say again, but for three minutes on that bridge, things felt like the good old days.

"If this is anything like the real thing, I think we can get New York," Finn said. "I mean, look at all these people!"

"Yeah, I've never seen so many people," Rachel agreed.

"I was thinking, we should be able to get all the top five most populated states," Finn said. "Look at this crowd here, we'll get New York back. Then tomorrow we'll be in California, I think we can get it back, I heard Senator Seaborn is going to be at our rally in California tomorrow and he's supposed to be influential with the people there. Santos is from Texas, if they can elect him to congress, they can elect him president. Florida may be a traditional swing state, but I think we can do it. And the Democrats won Illinois in 2012, so we can keep it."

Rachel had to smile at Finn's optimism. Did he have this whole thing planned out? "Well, let's do this."

"Let's do this," Finn said.

x

Finn had enjoyed singing with Rachel at the rally, but he remembered what Kurt had told him: not to rush into things. They'd broken up three times before, and it had been painful each time. Now that they were working together, it would complicate things, but Finn could handle his feelings - right?

Finn tried to put the thoughts out of his head as he listened to the speech. At the end of the speech, the campaign staff applauded as their candidate came backstage. Then came an announcement he wasn't sure if he was up to.

Tonight, the campaign staff was going to Sardi's for dinner as a campaign kickoff and to celebrate the first successful rally.

Sardi's. Was there some sort of conspiracy to trigger Finn and Rachel? Central Park, Bow Bridge and Sardi's were their special places in New York. In fact, Kurt had told Finn that sometimes Rachel would go to Sardi's and Central Park (specifically Bow Bridge) if she needed time to herself.

This was crazy.

"You're a really good singer," a voice said, interrupting Finn's thoughts.

Finn turned to the female campaign employee in front of him. "Thanks."

"So is that Rachel girl," the female employee continued.

Yes she was. And Finn knew that. He felt his phone vibrate, and looked and saw a message from his mom. "Burt and I watched the rally on livestream. You and Rachel had a great performance."

His parents had seen the performance? Finn guessed he couldn't be surprised. Burt was friends with Santos. Finn texted back. "Thanks, but I don't know if this'll be a regular thing. The person who was originally going to sing got sick." He liked singing with Rachel again. But at the same time, it made him a little uneasy. He couldn't rush things. There was no way to know if Rachel was comfortable or not. It was weird enough having Rachel here and having to fight his feelings. And this wasn't high school anymore, where you could make a fool out of yourself and have it be forgotten within a few days.

Finn got on the campaign bus to go to Sardi's. He'd felt comfortable singing with Rachel, but now again, things felt weird. When the bus arrived at Sardi's, Finn's mind flashed back to that night in New York. She'd worn that pretty blue dress. He'd gotten her flowers. She'd talked about how one day, a cartoon of her would be on those walls. She probably thought there wouldn't be now after That's So Rachel - but he hoped there would.

What was Rachel thinking now? Finn wanted to know. At least he knew that the food was good. And he was pretty hungry.

x

Today had been even fuller than yesterday. Rachel was glad to be back in the hotel room to go to sleep. After all, the campaign was headed out to California tomorrow, and there was no doubt that tomorrow would be crazy, too. At least the crazy kept her busy though. She knew it hadn't been productive of her to sit around the house moping after That's So Rachel.

She'd had her first public performance in years today, and she had to admit, it felt so good to be up there and sing again. It was made even better that she was singing with Finn. He'd been smiling at her - giving her those famous half smiles. Those smiles still gave her the tingles. But the performance didn't solve everything - Finn and Rachel had trouble finding the things to say to each other.

Rachel had told Santos and Josh that if it was okay, she didn't want to sing at a rally for a while. She didn't want to say the real reason, but she said it was because her throat was feeling sore. Both her bosses said she and Finn had the best voices they'd ever heard, but were understanding. Being on Bow Bridge reminded her of things - of the easy times for her and Finn. It made her wish that she'd never broken up with him. When she lived in New York, she'd come here to feel close to him. She'd wanted him back. Now he was back in her life, but things weren't the same as before.

Then there was the dinner at Sardi's. Another reminder of what she and Finn used to have. She remembered their date, when she'd told Finn that one day, there would be a cartoon of her on these walls. Now she doubted there would be. At least she hadn't done anything on the campaign trail yet to get a political cartoon mocking her in the newspaper.

She wasn't here to fret over things. She was here to get back in the game, get her focus back and get her candidate in the White House. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way.

Maybe tomorrow would be less complicated. After all, they were going to be in California, and she and Finn didn't have memories there.

 _Chapter 4 preview: The main antagonist of the story is introduced. Finchel try to get reacquainted some more. Meanwhile, Rachel faces conflicts with her dads not liking her working for a candidate they don't plan to vote for._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 4!_


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting The Rivals

_Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all your reviews on the last chapter. I really enjoyed reading them. I think this is my favorite chapter so far - I really wish Finchel had gotten to talk about their issues on the real show :( Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 4: Meeting The Rivals

Rachel stood in front of the mirror near the hotel pool and rubbed her ear with the solution she'd gotten at Claire's, still wondering if this had been a good idea. Today was the first day off in nearly a week, and she'd decided to go out with some of the other female campaign workers. (They were in a small town in Colorado, it's not like there was much else to do besides shopping.) While out, she'd decided to get her cartilage pierced. It was a little sore, but she had to admit, she liked how it looked. Part of this was about taking risks and stepping outside her comfort zone, and when Kurt had pierced his tongue back in New York, she told herself she wouldn't pierce anything other than her ears because it would probably hurt, but she'd done this.

After Rachel finished putting the solution on her ear, she walked over to the pool, where she noticed Finn was there as well. "You pierced your cartilage?" Finn gasped.

"Yeah," Rachel said nervously. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. The other girls were fun to hang out with, sure, but this had been a last minute decision. Now Rachel's mind flashed back to the day she showed up at Funny Girl with the fake new haircut. She'd nearly gotten fired. Then of course there was the Vogue makeover. Kurt's words rang in her head: "now you're a slutty barbie..." She couldn't let herself do something like this again. What if she got fired?

"I just... didn't think you'd do something like that," Finn said.

What was Rachel supposed to say to that? "Well, we haven't really seen each other in three years... I went out with some of the other girls on the campaign and just decided to do it."

"We'll see what the congressman thinks," Finn said.

"He probably won't even notice," Rachel said. Now that she thought about it - how had Finn noticed? Was he studying her so carefully that he noticed things like that? Maybe he did have some attraction to her... She tried to take her mind off things. "So, how was your day off? What did you do?"

"Well, I hung out with some of the other guys," Finn said. "We went to see a movie."

"That's good," Rachel said. She finally decided to say what she'd wanted to say since she first found out she and Finn were working together. "Finn, I know we've got a lot of history between us, but we shouldn't be uncomfortable around each other. We may not be together anymore, but I still care about you a lot. I know with our history it might be complicated, but this isn't about us, this is about our country and the election."

"You're right," Finn said. "I'm sorry if I've been kind of distant... I just wasn't expecting to find you here."

"I wasn't expecting to find you here either," Rachel said.

"Well, like I told you, he's friends with Burt," Finn said. "My mom and Burt thought I needed something positive in my life, so they suggested I apply to work for this campaign. Ever since the glee club was disbanded, I've pretty much just been going through motions. I mean, I would go to school and go to the tire shop, but I wasn't really doing anything I enjoyed..."

Rachel was surprised Finn had revealed so much to her. "Well, I know what that's like. After That's So Rachel, no one would hire me to do anything, not even be a cleaning lady. That's why I was so surprised I got this job."

"Why did you leave Funny Girl so soon?" Finn asked Rachel. "It was your dream..."

"I don't really know, now that I think about it," Rachel admitted. "I guess I was just excited that I was getting so many offers and so much attention at once. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have left. Now I don't think anyone will ever hire me to work on Broadway again, and I only have myself to blame for it."

"Sometimes we make decisions that seem right at the time, but it turns out they're not right," Finn said.

"Yeah, exactly," Rachel said. "So, you don't think there's any hope of the glee club coming back to McKinley?"

Finn shook his head. "Probably not. Mr. Schue's at Carmel now, and the last kids who were in it just graduated. Even if they hadn't graduated, Coach Sylvester had them transferred to other schools..."

"That's stupid," Rachel admitted.

"It is," Finn agreed. "My mom and Burt told me that when they saw us singing at the rally, that was the first time they'd really seen me happy in years... and I must admit, this past week is the most fun I've had in years."

"Really?" Rachel asked. This was odd. "My dad said the same thing."

"Oh, so your dad's fine with you working for Santos instead of Russell?" Finn asked.

Rachel had to admit - it was nice to have Finn teasing her again. "Well, Hiram and I had that talk and he saw us in the rally and he was glad to see me so happy. I haven't talked to LeRoy since I left Ohio, and when I was leaving, he was giving me a pretty hard time about working for Santos..."

"Shouldn't he be happy that you're happy for the first time in years?" Finn asked.

"You'd think," Rachel said. "So, how's Kurt? I miss him..."

"Why haven't you been talking to him?" Finn asked. "I know he misses you, everyone else does too..."

"I was just so embarrassed after That's So Rachel, I got rid of all my social media accounts and changed my phone number," Rachel admitted. "I didn't think people would want to be my friend anymore."

"Of course they still want to be your friend," Finn said. "Kurt and Blaine were hoping to have you in the wedding party at their wedding..."

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah really," Finn said.

That felt good. "Well, if they'd let me, I'd love to be in it. I miss them," Rachel said. "Do you think anyone else will get married any time soon?" Back in high school, everyone knew (or at least at the time they thought they knew) the first wedding would be Finn and Rachel's. But that was then...

"Well, I don't know who will be next, but Santana and Brittany, Puck and Quinn, Sam and Mercedes, Mike and Tina, Artie and Kitty, and Ryder and Marley are all pretty serious," Finn said.

All the other couples had lasted. But not Rachel and Finn. "That's great."

"You should really consider talking to everyone again," Finn encouraged. "I know everyone misses you. And I saw Santana and Brittany were happy to see you at the rally in New York."

"Brittany didn't think I was still alive," Rachel laughed.

"That's Brittany being Brittany," Finn said.

While they were on this topic, Rachel decided to ask Finn the question she'd been wondering for three years. "Finn, why did you tell me no contact?"

Finn paused. "You know how earlier I was saying that sometimes we make decisions that seem right at the time and turn out not to be right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"That was one of those," Finn admitted. "I was hurt that you were into Brody and I thought that it would be easier to just not have you in my life, but I missed you. I didn't think you'd actually stick with the no contact rule."

"I didn't want to hurt you," Rachel said. "And Brody turned out to be a real loser. Santana discovered that he was a gigolo and that he was lying to me about it. He could have given me an STD."

Finn made a face. "Were you tested for STDs?"

"Yes, it came back clean," Rachel admitted. "But honestly, the real reason I was with Brody was because I was lonely. I wasn't really into him." She didn't want to make Finn think she was rushing into things. "What about you, any girls over the past few years?"

"There've been a few, but it never got serious," Finn admitted.

Rachel smiled to herself. Hopefully this meant one day, when she and Finn were both ready, they'd be together and it would be forever.

The door to the pool opened, and a family came in, letting Finn and Rachel know that they couldn't have such a personal conversation anymore (at least not at the hotel pool). But Rachel did feel somewhat better - she and Finn had really talked for the first time since they'd seen each other again and she felt like she had some answers to the questions she had.

"Wow!" said one of the kids in the family that came into the pool. "You look just like the people who sang Don't Stop Believing at the Santos rally last week!"

Rachel couldn't believe people recognized her and Finn. "That was us," Finn laughed.

"We're actually from New York, visiting family here," the kid's mom said. "We were at the rally. He's a great candidate for president, isn't he?"

"He is," Rachel said. "That's why we work for him. We actually have a rally here tomorrow."

"Is he at this hotel?" one of the other kids asked. "I want to meet him and get his autograph!"

"I think he's asleep," Finn admitted. "We've been so busy lately, but we'll give him your message."

"Well, good luck with everything," the kids' dad said.

"Thanks," Rachel said.

x

Rachel did feel better after her talk with Finn at the hotel pool. (Getting to see him in a swimsuit wasn't a bad bonus either.) At least now she had answers to her questions, and she hoped he had answers, too. Then Rachel heard her phone ringing. She looked at it and saw that it was LeRoy, so she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey," LeRoy said. "How are you?"

"Good, this is my day off, so I've mostly been relaxing," Rachel said. "How are you?"

"I saw you and Finn on TV last week, singing at the Santos rally," LeRoy said. "So Finn's working on the campaign, too?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "He's an aide, like me."

"Instead of singing on Broadway, you're singing at rallies for a guy who shouldn't be the Democratic nominee for president," LeRoy groaned.

Rachel didn't like where this was going. "Finn and I just sang at the one rally."

"And then what are you doing?" LeRoy asked. "Carrying that man's bags?"

Rachel groaned. "Would you be acting this way if I was working for Russell?"

"You're young, you're not going to be young forever," LeRoy said. "I just think you're really wasting your life on this campaign."

Maybe now, Rachel could use her dads' competition to be the better dad to her advantage. "You know, Dad told me that it was the happiest he'd seen me in years when he saw the footage of me and Finn singing at the rally."

"I thought he was voting for Russell," LeRoy said.

"He is, but he notices that I'm happy for the first time in years," Rachel said. "Shouldn't that mean something to you?"

"Fine, Rachel, act like he's the better dad when you stayed with me first after that TV show of yours," LeRoy said. "But don't come crying to me when Russell beats Santos in the primary and you have nothing in your life again."

That particular comment made Rachel angry. She liked to think that Santos would win the primaries - but there was a possibility that Russell would. And of course, then there would need to be the faceoff against Vinick in November, and in 2012, Vinick had gotten 376 electoral votes... "I'm pretty tired, we have three campaign events tomorrow. I'm going to rest."

x

There was an early morning rally in Colorado before needing to catch a plane back to California for another event. Finn had slept well last night, feeling good about his conversation with Rachel at the hotel pool. He hadn't had time to talk to her much at the rally this morning, but during the plane trip to California, Finn came over to Rachel. "So, did he notice your piercing?" Finn asked. He felt comfortable teasing Rachel again. That was something, wasn't it?

"I told him about it and asked him if he wanted me to take it out, and he said it's fine," Rachel said.

"Good, we don't want him to go Rupert on you," Finn teased.

Rachel giggled. "Finn!"

"Did it hurt?" Finn asked.

"It did at first, but now I feel okay," Rachel admitted.

"Did you know Kurt has his tongue pierced?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said as the plane landed in LA. "I don't think I could do that."

"It would be like sucking on metal all the time," Finn giggled as they got off the plane. "So, I heard Vinick's having an event here today, too, just down the street..." He'd read that online. Would their paths cross?

"Maybe we should have picked a different venue," Rachel said.

"Hey, we didn't know," Finn said. "I'm sure we won't run into him." He suddenly remembered that Rachel sometimes got motion sickness. They'd been flying for the past week, but it had never occurred to him until now. "Did the flight go okay for you? I remember when you threw up on the plane on the way to New York junior year..."

"Hey, the congressman's a pretty good flyer of campaign planes," Rachel said. "I bet we're the only campaign where our candidate flies his own plane."

"Yeah, it is," Finn added. "So, you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Rachel said.

The campaign would be stopping for lunch before the rally, but when the group walked over to a nearby restaurant, Finn noticed that there was a bunch of cars at the place they'd planned to go... including several limousines. He wasn't sure what was going on, but something about this gave him a bad feeling. He walked up to where Santos was with Josh. "Um, what are all those cars?"

"The secret service is making sure everything's okay, Finn," Josh said.

"Okay," Finn said. Still, all these cars gave Finn a bad feeling. He looked ahead and saw a bunch of men in black walking out of the restaurant, beginning to feel even more nervous. They had the secret service with them, but something about these people was weird. Finn saw Santos get out his phone and look at it as Rachel came over. "What's going on?" Rachel asked.

"It turns out the president's here," Santos said. "That was just one of our secret service agents texting me. Since we're here, the president wants to come over and say hi."

"He probably wants a photo op to make himself look good," Josh whispered to Finn.

Finn had never met the president before. Burt had never met the president. But Finn was sure he agreed with the president on absolutely nothing, and from interviews he saw on TV, the president gave him a bad vibe.

Vinick and a bunch of secret service agents and campaign staff walked over to the Santos group. "Well, if it isn't Matt Santos," Vinick said in a cocky voice.

Finn could tell his candidate was a bit uneasy with that tone, but Finn was surprised Santos remained professional and presidential. "Hello, Mr. President, nice to see you."

Vinick held out his hand. "Good to see you, my opponent. What brings you to LA?"

Santos shook Vinick's hand, but Vinick looked like he was trying to break Santos's fingers. "Here for a rally. California has a lot of electoral votes."

"But this is my home state," Vinick said. "So, campaign staff?"

Santos nodded. "This is Josh Lyman, my campaign manager, and then these are my aides, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry."

"Those are the two who sang at the New York rally, right?" Vinick asked.

"You watched the rally?" Santos asked. "They're talented, aren't they?"

"It's good to keep up to date on your opponents' activity," Vinick said.

Finn definitely didn't like this man. If he wasn't the president, Finn would tell Vinick to get lost. He looked over at Rachel, who also had an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Look, it's Finchel!" a familiar voice said. Finn turned as Coach Sylvester came over and put her arms around Finn and Rachel.

"Wait?" Vinick asked Santos. "Your aides know my campaign manager?"

Sue was the Vinick campaign manager? "Oh yeah!" Sue said with fake enthusiasm. "Finn and Rachel and I go way back. I was the cheerleading coach at their high school, and I went to their almost wedding before it got interrupted when one of their bridesmaids got hit by a truck, and I helped the glee club win Nationals their senior year! But Finn, Rachel, you two are working for Santos?"

"Yeah," Finn spoke. "I think he has great ideas for this country, and in November, he's going to be headed for the White House."

"It was nice to see you and meet your campaign manager, Mr. President," Josh said. "I think we need to get to lunch. The congressman has a rally in an hour."

"Yeah, good to see you," Santos told Vinick. "Good luck today."

Vinick did not wish Santos good luck. He gave a smug look before walking off with Coach Sylvester and his secret service agents.

"Okay, Congressman, I'm telling you now, the Vinick campaign manager is not a good person," Rachel blurted out. She worked at our high school, and she was always punching students, shoving them into lockers, yelling at them, insulting people... she only had a job because she was blackmailing the school board..."

"What?" Santos asked. "That's crazy."

"It is crazy," Finn said. "I don't know why she had a job after everything she did... I don't know why the president hired her to manage the campaign. He's the president, I thought he'd know better..."

"He's an idiot," Josh interrupted.

"She particularly targeted Finn and me and the other kids in the glee club," Rachel said.

"Are you okay?" Santos asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Rachel said.

Finn put his arm around Rachel. He could tell that it had upset her to see Coach Sylvester again. The comments Coach Sylvester had made about Finn and Rachel's almost wedding had made both of them uneasy. They knew they didn't want the congressman to know about their complicated history. But Sue Sylvester had talked about it in front of him.

"Are you two sure you're okay?" Santos asked. "Campaigns can be stressful. If you want to sit down for a little, you can..."

"We're fine," Finn and Rachel both said.

"This stays here, but I don't like Arnold Vinick at all as a president or as a person," Santos said. "And his campaign manager did come off as a bit crazy... what was that she was saying about you two and a wedding?"

Finn sighed as he looked at Rachel. They couldn't lie about this. "When we were seniors, we did almost get married. We were young, and we were scared about our future and we thought that getting married would solve our problems... we were young... we didn't know what we were doing..."

"Yeah, exactly," Rachel cut in. "Like we said, we fell out of contact after high school, but this isn't going to impact our ability to do great things for the campaign."

"Okay," Santos said. "I never doubted you two. You guys hungry?"

"Yeah, I am," Finn admitted, hoping to get his mind off the fact that a piece of his past that he didn't feel comfortable talking about had been revealed. Last night he and Rachel had finally seemed to be in a good place again, a place where despite their complicated past, they understood each other. Now that the congressman AND the campaign manager knew about their history. And that changed everything.

 _Chapter 5 preview: when the campaign goes to Ohio, Finchel meet up with some old friends - but what will they think about Rachel disappearing for so long? Meanwhile, Vinick and Sue make things more complicated for the Santos campaign. After Sue's comments about Finchel and their history, Finn tells Santos a little about him and Rachel in hopes of clearing things up._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 5!_


	5. Chapter 5: Not So Happy Reunion

_Hi guys. Thanks so much for all your support on the last chapter. It meant a lot to me. I'm sorry Rachel isn't in this chapter much, but Finn's part is something I really wanted to do and it ended up taking up most of the chapter. We get to see some familiar faces in this chapter and I can tell you that we haven't seen the last of them. Hope you enjoy and review if I should keep going! Let me know what you like._

Chapter 5: Not So Happy Reunion

Finn sat in a hotel room in today's stop on the campaign trail - Richmond, Indiana. They'd had a rally here this afternoon and been in Indianapolis this morning. Finn wasn't even sure if it was worth it to stop in Indiana - it had gone Democrat in 2008, but the Republicans took it back in full force in 2012. Still, Josh had asked Finn and Rachel to make arrangements to go to all the states that changed parties in 2012, so Indiana was on the list.

Finn and Rachel had finally been comfortable again after their talk in Colorado - then they'd met up with Sue and Vinick, and that changed everything. Sue had told the story of the engagement of senior year. Finn always knew that he wanted to marry Rachel - one day. During his senior year, he was panicked about his future and thought getting engaged would make things better.

He and Rachel hadn't been questioned about the senior year engagement, but that didn't mean he didn't worry that the candidate and the campaign manager were judging him and her for it. They did what was asked of them, but Finn was watching his every move, making sure he didn't do anything that might give the man he hoped would become the leader of the free world a bad vibe.

"Hey, can I join you?" Finn looked up and saw Matt Santos himself coming in.

"Yeah, of course," Finn said. "Just getting some campaign literature together for the event tomorrow."

"Where's Rachel?" Santos asked.

"She, Anna and Ronna are taking some literature to the local board of elections, maybe talking to some people there," Finn said. "Josh asked me to get these together. You can relax if you want. I have this under control..." Now that he was alone with Santos, he figured he should talk about what Sue had said. He didn't want more people to know about it. "Sir, about what the president's campaign manager said the other day..."

"You want to talk about it?" Santos asked.

Finn didn't know what to say. "I really hope you know that the fact that she and I were scared of the future and thought getting married would solve all our problems doesn't mean we can't make good decisions. We were young..."

"It's okay," Santos repeated. "Your stepdad's told me all about you, Finn. I knew I was going to hire you as soon as he told me you might be interested. I wouldn't have hired you if I wasn't sure you'd do a great job - and from everything Burt's told me about you, I know you will."

Finn smiled. "Thanks, sir."

"So, are you excited to be back in Ohio tomorrow?" Santos asked.

"It'll be weird to be back after having been away for a few weeks," Finn admitted. "I haven't been out of Ohio for more than a few days at a time except for one brief period. It will be kind of nice to be back."

"Any of your friends coming to the rally see you and Rachel?" Santos asked.

Finn wasn't sure. After all, only Santana and Brittany had even seen Rachel since That's So Rachel. "I don't know, I haven't been able call my friends very much. You know how busy it's been... how often do you get to talk to your wife?" He then realized that probably wasn't a good question to ask. Maybe a little too personal...

"I talk to her and the kids every day," Santos said.

"So relationships can work when you're doing this... never mind," Finn said. It was too premature to think about getting back with Rachel...

"What?" Santos asked.

Finn shrugged. "Nothing."

"If you're in a relationship you're concerned about..." Santos began.

Finn took a deep breath. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk about Rachel with someone who hadn't been there for all the crazy. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course," Santos said.

No. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. "My stomach hurts. Do you have any peptobismol or anything like that?"

"If you need someone to talk to about Rachel, you can talk to me," Santos said.

"Has Burt told you much about me and Rachel?" Finn asked.

"He hasn't, but I could tell it upset you both when the president's campaign manager made you both uncomfortable," Santos admitted.

Finn sighed. It would probably be good to get this off his chest. "If you don't mind me asking, Congressman, when did you know that Helen was the one?"

"I reached a point when I couldn't picture a future without her in it. We actually dated in high school, too, and we broke up after graduation and went to different colleges. But she was still on my mind a lot, even when I dated other people, so we decided to try long distance. It didn't feel right to think about being married and having kids with anyone but her. I think it was the breakup that really made me realize she was the only woman for me. Is that how you feel about Rachel?" Santos asked.

That was how Finn felt about himself and Rachel, too. "Yeah. I thought being broken up would have made me get used to life without her - but it just made me miss her more. Seeing her again has brought back my feelings for her. But we've both gotten hurt and I don't want her to get hurt again. I don't want to get hurt again. I want us to be together. I want it to be forever. I love her and it doesn't feel right to picture being married to or having kids or building a life with anyone but her. But I don't know. I wish love wasn't so confusing, you know?"

"I got a feeling the day I met you and Rachel that something was there," Santos told Finn. "I saw the way you two looked at each other when you were performing at the rally."

"Don't Stop Believing," Finn said. "That was the first song Rachel and I ever sang together. The first one we got to finish, anyway."

"Really?" Santos asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "I remember all sorts of little things about her and me..." He figured he might as well tell the story. "We really met when we were sophomores in high school and right away I knew something was there, but I was with a different girl at the time and she told me she was pregnant with her baby, so I couldn't break up with her for Rachel. Then when I found out it wasn't really my baby, I needed time to myself, but then when I realized I wanted to be with Rachel, she started dating another guy. That other guy turned out to be the biggest asshole ever, but at least we finally date when they broke up. Things were going great, but then she found out I lied about my virginity and kissed another guy for revenge, so we broke up. We were both wrong, and I realized she wouldn't have done that if I didn't lie, but I started dating my old girlfriend to get over her. She also started dating her old boyfriend again. Finally, we got back together at the end of our junior year and were together and happy for our whole senior year, but there were uncertainties about our futures. That was when we had our engagement. Then she got into the school of her dreams and I didn't, so I broke up with her so she could pursue her dreams without holding her back. When I went to visit her in New York, I realized she was dating someone else. She said she was dating him because she missed me, but I still felt bad. Then I told her no contact... and this was the first time we saw each other in three years. Like I told you, I never stopped loving her." Maybe he shouldn't have told the full story...

Luckily, Santos didn't seem to be judging Finn. "Finn, let me tell you something. When two people are meant to be together, the universe has its way of working things out for them. If you two were meant to stick with the no contact, you probably wouldn't still be thinking about her, and you definitely wouldn't have gotten jobs on the same campaign."

Finn had always sort of believed in fate. "I guess you're right."

"Now, since it has been three years, I don't think you should get together right away," Santos continued. "A lot can change in three years. You should focus on getting to know each other again. Helen and I didn't get back together right away when we first started talking again after the breakup either. And Josh, the campaign manager? He and his girlfriend went through some stuff like you and Rachel went through in their early days, and now they're getting married in December. Just take things slow, get to know her, be a friend. When the time's right to get back together, you'll know it. You'll both know it. Just trust that everything will work out."

Finn nodded. "Okay." He knew he'd made the right choice now about who to vote for, let alone work for, now more than ever.

"Do you still need that peptobismol?" Santos asked. "Because I do have some."

"My stomach feels better," Finn said. "Thanks for talking with me, Congressman."

"Of course," Santos said. "Everything will be okay, Finn."

x

The Ohio rally was being held in Dayton, about an hour and a half from Lima. Rachel couldn't help but wonder if anyone from New Directions would be here. It was summer, after all, and even though everyone had gone all over the place, people came home in the summer...

She knew that even though Dayton was close to Cincinnati, LeRoy wouldn't be here. As it turned out, Russell was speaking in Cincinnati today. LeRoy had texted Rachel, asking if she'd consider coming down to Cincinnati to see Russell speak instead of going to the Santos event. Rachel hadn't even replied to that text.

Finn and Rachel worked their way through the crowd, handing out Santos for President signs. "So, what do you think of our crowds in the swing states so far?" Rachel asked Finn.

"Well, we do have big crowds," Finn said. "I've noticed a lot of young people, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I have," Rachel said. "I just wish we still weren't trailing Russell by double digits."

"We have been gaining since we started having campaign events," Finn said. "It would be good if we got some big endorsements..."

"It is a little early for endorsements," Finn admitted. "The biggest endorsements we could get would probably be the two living former Democratic presidents. I wouldn't be surprised if the president we had before Vinick is keeping a low profile because of what happened in 2012. We might be able to get Bartlet's endorsement though."

"That would be good," Rachel said. "In a way I kind of hope Sue exposes herself for the crazy that she is so the public can see that Vinick is an unfit president."

"Finn? Rachel?" a familiar voice said. Rachel looked up and saw Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Tina, Artie and Sam. She gulped. She wasn't expecting this.

"Finn, I tried calling you to say that I was coming today," Kurt said.

"I'm sorry, my phone must have been off," Finn said.

Kurt gave Rachel a hug. "I missed you so much. Where have you been all these years?"

"Oh, she probably thought she was too good for us little people," Tina snapped.

"Tina!" Artie said.

Rachel felt hurt by Tina's comment. That wasn't why she hadn't contacted anyone in two years. If anything, the opposite was true - she thought that her friends wouldn't want to be linked to someone from such an embarrassing TV show.

Rachel could tell that Finn knew she was upset. "So, how long are you guys in Ohio for?" Finn asked.

"Oh, we just came to visit for the weekend, and when we found out Santos was speaking here, we thought we'd come see him speak," Blaine said. "Seriously though, Rachel, we've missed you."

"Well, after That's So Rachel, I was so embarrassed..." Rachel began.

"We're still your friends," Kurt said. "We all tried calling you, but your number was disconnected."

Rachel sighed. "Guys, I didn't think you'd want to be my friend anymore..."

"Of course we do," Sam said.

"Besides, you're back in a bigger way than ever," Mercedes said. "You're working on a presidential campaign."

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"And you guys sang Don't Stop Believing at the New York rally, we heard," Artie said.

"We did," Finn said. "So, any idea who everyone's voting for? Rachel and I have some information on Santos for anyone who's undecided..."

"Well, all of us are voting for Santos, of course," Kurt said. "And so are Santana and Brittany, as you could tell."

"And everyone else?" Rachel asked.

"Well... I think I'm slowly but surely convincing Kitty to vote for Santos instead of Vinick," Artie said. "We can try to convince Quinn to not vote for Vinick, too. We'll need Tina to talk Mike out of voting for Russell, and we've got to convince Puck, Marley, Ryder, Jake and Unique to vote for Santos instead of Russell, too."

Their group's votes were divided. It was to be expected. "My dads are voting for Russell," Rachel said.

"And Sue's Vinick's campaign manager," Finn said.

"Oh God," Kurt groaned. "Do you guys think you'll be able to hang out after the rally? We have so much catching up to do, especially with Rachel..."

"We need to get up to Cleveland tonight," Finn said.

"Of course," Tina said. "We're not good enough for Rachel Berry The Big Gold Star anymore, don't you guys know that?"

"Tina, don't say that," Finn said.

"Why did she block us from calling her, huh?" Tina asked.

"I didn't block you," Rachel said. "I was so embarrassed by That's So Rachel and I thought you guys wouldn't want to be my friends anymore, so I changed my number and got rid of my social media accounts..."

"You weren't too embarrassed to apply for a job on a presidential campaign," Tina shot back.

Tina was taking things too far. Rachel wasn't going to say publicly that this was the ONLY job she could get. But Tina kept talking. "You always thought you were too good for us. With all your solos. And you probably didn't talk to us because we aren't good enough for you. You were the ONLY graduate who never came back to help out our senior year and you never even learned the new members' names. You didn't even come back for the glee club farewell or Mr. Schue's almost wedding. All you care about is being on top. You've set your sights even higher than a Broadway show now, but you don't realize that Russell's probably going to run over Santos in the primaries..."

"Tina, stop it," Blaine said.

"Finn and I should finish handing out these signs," Rachel said. She wasn't interested in any more of Tina's ranting. It hurt. And the worst part was, she could see why Tina thought what she thought. Rachel had disappeared without telling anyone where she was going. She had cut off all contact. Shouldn't that have been up to her friends?

When Rachel and Finn were done handing out the signs, Rachel looked at Finn. "Is that really what they think of me?"

"What?" Finn asked. "No! Mercedes and the guys seemed happy to see you. At the New York rally, Santana and Brittany seemed happy to see you..."

"All those things Tina said, about me always thinking I was too good for them..." Rachel looked down. "I shouldn't have cut off contact with everyone. I should have been at Mr. Schue's wedding and at the glee club farewell."

"I get why you weren't," Finn said. "I told you I didn't want to hear from you anymore, and I regret that now."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "I miss them, I just wish things could go back to the way they were... but they can't. It'll take time for me to feel comfortable with them again. It took nearly two weeks of working together before I felt comfortable with you again..." She realized she'd just said it to Finn, that she felt comfortable. Things had been weird for her at first, then they had their talk and things got better, but then they'd run into Sue. She'd felt a little weird at first, but now that she saw no one on the campaign was judging her and Finn, she was feeling okay.

"But we are comfortable with each other again," Finn said. "That's what matters."

It felt good to know that Finn was comfortable with her, too. Rachel smiled at Finn. "At least I know you're not mad at me..." She had questioned her decision to disappear. But what was done was done, and she couldn't undo the past year.

"I'm sure things will work out," Finn said. "We'd better get back to the staff."

"Yeah, we'd better," Rachel said.

x

"I'm so hungry," Rachel said as she and Finn sat down for dinner at the hotel's bar. There hadn't been time for a dinner break between the two Ohio rallies, so Finn and Rachel couldn't eat until nearly ten in the evening.

"Well, we'd better be careful of the Campaign Ten," Finn teased.

"That exists?" Rachel asked.

"Josh was telling me the other day that the congressman is the first candidate he's run a campaign for who HASN'T gained weight," Finn laughed.

"Wow," Rachel said. "I'm not a vegan anymore, so I'd better be careful."

"You're not a vegan?" Finn asked.

There was still a lot for Finn and Rachel to learn about each other over the past three years. "Not anymore. My doctor thought it would be good for me to have dairy and protein."

Before Finn could say anything else, a familiar voice came from the hotel's TV. "As the president's campaign manager, I can say that I'm more and more confident that we'll win this election in a year." Finn and Rachel saw Sue on the TV. "I know that the Democrats are coming out, but they don't have what it takes."

"I don't know, Ms. Sylvester," the anchor said. "The Democrats have been doing pretty well in the polls against the president, they've been gaining more and more. And there's been media buzz lately about Matt Santos... people really like his speeches and his rallies have brought in big crowds."

"Him?" Sue asked. "He's nothing to worry about! And his staff is so weak..."

Rachel had a feeling she knew Sue was taking a punch at her and Finn. Looking at Finn, she knew Finn knew that, too.

"What do you know about his staff?" the interviewer asked.

Coach Sylvester looked like she didn't know what to say. "I heard several of his staff members have gay family members. Marriage is between a man and a woman."

Finn and Rachel exchanged an angry look. They knew who Coach Sylvester was referring to.

"But Ms. Sylvester, in the past, you've been shown to support gay rights," the interviewer said. "And before he was elected president, Arnold Vinick was pro gay."

"Well, that was then and this is now," Coach Sylvester snapped. "By hiring staff members with gay family members Matt - I heard his staff calls him Matt, so I'll call him that too - is sending a message to America that gay is okay."

"What is she doing?" Finn asked. "Does she really think she can say these things on national television?"

"How did she even get a job on this campaign?" Rachel asked. "I know Vinick's an idiot, but I thought he would at least have some sense."

"That was you and me she was talking about, I know it," Finn said.

"Of course it was," Rachel groaned. "We should tell Matt and Josh she's doing this..."

"You called our candidate Matt?" Finn asked.

"Might as well, he wants us to," Rachel said.

"I do wonder if she does feel threatened by us, by our campaign, by Matt," Finn said. "Notice how she didn't talk about any issues, just his staff's families."

"Yeah, but the religious right will get a kick out of what she said," Rachel sighed.

"We'll need to fight back," Finn said. "We always do, don't we?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. She couldn't believe Sue had slammed her and Finn indirectly on national television - but she had a bad feeling this wasn't the last of it. She knew Sue - and she had a feeling the slams would only get nastier.

 _Chapter 6 preview: The first Democratic debate is held, and Finchel meet the candidate Rachel's dads are supporting. LeRoy is at the debate too, and a secret about Rachel's past is revealed._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 6!_


	6. Chapter 6: The First Debate

_Hey everyone. Thanks so much for all the reviews on Chapter 5. It was one of my favorite chapters and I'm glad you guys liked it too. I know this one is a little longer, but after going over it, I wanted to keep everything. Hopefully that's okay with you! Thanks again for all your support and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 6: The First Debate

It had been less than a month, and the campaign had already been to 25 of the 50 states. Finn never thought he would visit so many states in such a short time. The days were long and busy, but other than the few run-ins with Sue and Vinick, Finn was loving every minute of this. He was seeing places he never thought he'd see and getting to meet and talk to all kinds of people. Even though Russell was leading in the polls for the Democratic nomination still, the Santos supporters were very enthusiastic and many of them were asking about volunteer opportunities. The other campaign staff were fun to hang out with too. And of course, Finn loved getting to spend so much time with Rachel.

The campaign was in Texas now, but not for a campaign event - for the first Democratic debate. The debate was being held in Houston, the hometown of their candidate. Texas was a state that could go either way - it was traditionally a conservative state and Vinick had won it by 30 percentage points in 2012, but since it was Santos's home state, maybe they'd have a shot at it. Finn remembered his prediction early on in the campaign - that they'd win all five of the biggest states in the country. Could they do it?

"I expected his house to be bigger, is that weird?" Rachel asked Finn, interrupting his thoughts as they walked up to the Santos home for debate prep.

"Well, Burt's a congressman, and our house is pretty normal sized," Finn said.

"True, I guess," Rachel said. She walked up and rang the bell of the house. Finn still found it hard to believe he was about to enter the house of a man who might become president, but since this was the first debate, Josh had wanted to do debate prep at a place where the candidate would be comfortable. That didn't make this any more real - Finn had to show his ID to the secret service before going in.

"So, how do you think he'll do?" Finn asked.

"He's a good, engaging speaker," Rachel said. "I've never seen him debate before, but since he's such a good speaker, I think he'll be fine."

Finn smiled at Rachel's optimism as they went inside. Lots of the other campaign staff was already there. "Finn, Rachel, welcome," Mrs. Santos said, coming over to Finn and Rachel. "Anything I can get you?"

"We're fine, thanks Mrs. Santos," Rachel said.

"Please call me Helen," Mrs. Santos said. "And you guys get my husband stuff when he needs it, are you sure there's nothing I can get you? You hungry?" Now that Finn knew the Santoses' backstory, he was reminded of it when he saw Mrs. Santos - Helen - herself in person. They'd also dated in high school and broken up for college, but now they were married, had two kids, and had what seemed like a nice home together. Maybe there was hope for Finn and Rachel.

"Rachel!" The Santoses' five-year-old daughter, Miranda, came running up to Rachel.

"Hi!" Rachel said. "You remember me?"

"Of course she remembers you," Helen said. "She had a lot of fun listening to the Frozen music with you at the first rally."

"Want to come see my room, Rachel?" Miranda asked.

"I'd love to," Rachel said.

Finn had to smile to himself. He and Rachel had babysat together when they were in high school, but it was nice to see that she was still good with kids.

"Where's Matt?" Finn asked Helen.

"He's upstairs sleeping, he looked exhausted so I made him take a nap," Helen said. "So, how are you liking the campaign?"

"I'm really enjoying it," Finn said. "It's fun getting to talk to all the voters and see the country, and the staff is pretty cool. Like you said, it can be exhausting though."

"Finn!" a voice interrupted Finn's thoughts. Finn turned and saw Rachel and Miranda. "Want to play with us?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah!" Miranda added. "Rachel's the queen and I'm the princess. We're having a tea party."

"A tea party?" Finn asked.

"Rachel made cookies for the tea party," Miranda declared.

"Pretend cookies," Rachel mouthed to Finn.

Finn missed Rachel's homemade food. "Then I'm definitely coming!" Finn said.

"Yay!" Rachel clapped.

"Are you Rachel's friend?" Miranda asked Finn.

"Yeah, she's my friend," Finn said. He didn't feel like explaining the complicated situation to a five-year-old.

Miranda led Finn and Rachel up to her bedroom, where the girls had apparently set three places at the table. Finn struggled to fit into one of the chairs at the table and noticed Rachel giggling. "What's so funny?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, what's so funny?" Miranda asked.

"You're a little big for that chair," Rachel giggled.

Finn gave Rachel a playful slap on her wrist and smirked at her. "Finn! Hitting isn't nice!" Miranda said. "Mommy says never to hit people."

"Yeah, hitting isn't nice," Rachel added, teasing Finn.

"Should he be our servant instead of having the tea party with us?" Miranda asked Rachel.

"I think Finn can still have tea with us," Rachel said. "Since I'm the queen, he can be the king."

Finn couldn't help but think about what that would mean. If he was the king and Rachel was the queen... that would mean in this game, they were married.

"Would you like some tea?" Miranda asked, interrupting Finn's thoughts as she held up the teapot.

"I would love some," Finn said.

"And would you like a cookie?" Rachel asked.

"Yes!" Finn said.

x

The debate was being held at Rice University. This was the first campaign event where Finn and Rachel had to dress up. Rachel hadn't seen Finn in a suit and tie since... that night at Grease. As the campaign staff and the Santos family sat in their designated waiting room for the debate, Rachel kept looking over at Finn, noticing how handsome he looked in a suit.

"Sorry Finn and I couldn't be helpful with debate prep," Rachel told Santos.

"From what I heard, Miranda had fun playing with you two, so I'll let it slide," Santos teased.

"Yeah, Finn and Rachel are fun," Miranda said.

"You survived playing girly games with her?" the Santoses' eight-year-old son, Peter, asked Finn.

"Yeah," Finn said. Playing with Finn and Miranda reminded Rachel of when she and Finn played with the kids they babysat together. Then Finn turned to Rachel. "This feels so much more real now, doesn't it? Our guy's going to debate with the other candidates..."

"Yeah," Rachel said with a smile. "And we're going to finally meet the guy my dads are voting for..."

"We will," Finn said, hoping that things would go well.

The announcement came over the loudspeaker. All family and staff members needed to get to their seats. Finn looked up at his candidate. "Good luck."

"Remember to breathe," Rachel added. "Don't ever compromise your beliefs, no matter what the other candidates are saying."

"Just be yourself," Finn added. "You're going to be great." They shook hands with Santos and went to the stands to wait for the debate to begin.

"How do you think it'll go?" Finn asked.

"Well, I hope," Rachel said. "He seems pretty relaxed, so that's something."

"Yeah," Finn said. As Finn and Rachel walked to their seats, Rachel stopped her tracks.

LeRoy was here.

"What's going on?" Finn asked.

"My dad's here," Rachel whispered to Finn.

"What?" Finn whispered back as he looked around.

"He must be a pretty big Russell contributor," Rachel said. "It's so hard to get invited to these..." If her dad was here, would he talk to her? Would he talk to Finn? Would he be rude to someone from the campaign, or to the congressman himself?

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted when the moderator spoke. "Welcome to the first Democratic debate of the 2016 presidential election..."

It was beginning. Rachel's eyes stayed on her dad. She noticed her dad was looking at Russell. As the candidates went through their opening statements, Rachel saw LeRoy make a face as Santos spoke. Then the moderator spoke. Russell was getting the first question: why did he change his positions so often?

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the Democratic nominee," Russell said. "Nobody stays the same all the time. I was vice president from 1997 to 2001, so I know what it's like to be president. As a Senator, I've continued to fight for this country. Every time I cast a vote in the Senate, I think carefully about it and how it will affect the country. There are many difficult decisions we'll need to make and when I'm president, I'll always make what seems right at the time."

"I don't think that was answering the question," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"Neither do I," Rachel whispered back.

"Okay," the moderator said. "Thank you Senator. For two minutes, I'll give the other candidates a chance for a rebuttal."

"With all due respect, you didn't answer the question," Santos said to Russell. "You voted to send more troops to Afghanistan, and now you say we never should have gone. You say that you now denounce that immigration bill that you and Senator Walken wrote together. You were opposed to gay marriage until the Supreme Court legalized it..."

"Well, I changed my mind," Russell said. "When I saw that so many people thought differently about those things, I saw the light."

"So, are you saying, Senator, that you make decisions based on what most people like at the time?" asked another congressman.

"Not necessarily, but you can't expect me to think the same thing all the time," Russell said, appearing annoyed.

"Wow," Finn whispered to Rachel. "That's who your dads are voting for?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. She couldn't see why. As the debate continued, Santos continued to outperform Russell and the other candidates, giving answers that were clearly well-researched and planned out, showing that he'd take the time to research the issues. Russell often stumbled around his answers and focused a lot on faults he found with the other candidates, sometimes appearing as if he was trying to fill space. After about two hours, the candidates were giving their closing statements, and Santos went last. Rachel had seen drafts of the statement, but tonight she was sure this was the best it had ever been. "I decided to run for president to improve our flailing public schools, to keep more people from going bankrupt, and to make health care affordable to everyone. Why is it that tonight, and that many ads people have made from both parties, that this election hasn't been about the issues? It's been about tearing your opponents apart. This election shouldn't be about that. This country shouldn't be about that. So I give this challenge to everyone here tonight, and all the Republicans: let's focus on what we'd do as president and not on what our opponents can't do. We're better than that. This country is better than that."

Rachel and Finn both noticed - except for Russell, the other candidates seemed to agree with the statement. Russell stood there looking dumbfounded. Rachel looked at LeRoy, who looked shocked.

"I think he won the debate," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"Yeah, I think he did," Rachel whispered back.

After the candidates were called off the stage, Finn and Rachel went to the rented room to meet up with the other campaign staff. Rachel heard a familiar voice as she and Finn were on their way. "Rachel?"

Rachel turned and saw LeRoy. "Hi Daddy."

"Hi Mr. Berry," Finn said.

"Hi Finn," LeRoy said. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," Finn said. "How are you?"

"I'm good," LeRoy said. "Since I'm one of Russell's Top 25 contributors, he invited me to come to the debate..."

Her dad had given THAT much money to Russell? "Finn and I have to get back with the campaign staff..." Rachel began.

"Can we talk for a few minutes?" LeRoy asked.

"I'm not going to start working for Russell instead of Santos," Rachel said. "Santos is a great candidate, he's a great person, and he'll be a great president. I'm having the time of my life on this campaign, it's the most fun I've had since high school. I know we disagree on who's the best candidate, but I don't want that to get in the way of things for you and me..."

"Want to take a walk with me?" LeRoy asked.

"Sure," Rachel said. She turned to Finn. "Can you tell Josh I'll be a little late?"

"Sure," Finn said as he began to walk away.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet," LeRoy said as he began leading Rachel away.

Oh no. Rachel had a feeling she knew what this meant. LeRoy had started dating another man. "Okay."

When LeRoy led Rachel into another room, there was Bob Russell himself. "Sir, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Rachel," LeRoy said.

Rachel should have had a feeling this was coming. "Nice to meet you." What was she supposed to say? She could get in trouble with the campaign if she got seen here...

"Isn't she the one who's working for Santos?" Russell asked.

"Yes but..." LeRoy began.

"Yeah, I am," Rachel said. "I should probably get back to the Santos room. Nice to meet you, sir." She began to leave the room with LeRoy following her.

"Rachel, why did you walk out like that?" LeRoy asked.

Rachel turned around. "Daddy, I have a job. I could get in trouble for being in there..."

"I was hoping if you talked to him, you'd start working for him..." LeRoy began.

"Did you not watch the debate?" Rachel asked. "My guy was the clear winner."

"He had an off day!" LeRoy protested.

"I'm not arguing about this," Rachel said. "I'm on the job right now, and I'm not letting you ruin this for me."

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady," LeRoy snapped as Rachel started to walk away.

Rachel turned around. "You know, Dad's been so much more supportive of me. He even called me to wish me luck! I know you're both trying to prove that you're the better dad and he's definitely being the better dad now. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the biological father." Rachel then regretted those words. She'd probably gone too far.

LeRoy looked at Rachel. "Is that what you think? Well, guess what: neither of us are."

"What?" Rachel asked. She'd always known one of them was... they mixed their sperms in the turkey baster...

"Yeah, if you're going to be that rude, I might as well tell you, you aren't either of ours biologically," LeRoy said. "We said that to make things easier for you. Your real biological father is one of Shelby's college boyfriends."

This couldn't be true. "What?" Rachel asked. "You're lying, right?"

"If you're not going to be respectful to me, then I'm not going to play around anymore," LeRoy said.

"I don't have time for this," Rachel said. She hoped that this wasn't true, but it could be. Her candidate had a great night tonight, so she wanted to go celebrate with the other staff. Rachel went to the room where the staff was, going up to Santos. "Hey, congratulations. You did great tonight."

"Thanks," Santos said.

"I think he was the clear winner tonight, don't you, Rachel?" Josh asked.

"For sure," Rachel said.

"This calls for champagne," Finn said, handing a glass of champagne to Rachel.

"I would say so," Rachel said. She could figure out if what LeRoy said was true later tonight, but right now she just wanted to celebrate.

x

After returning to the hotel, Rachel picked up her phone. She hadn't stopped thinking about what LeRoy had told her, and she needed answers. She dialed Hiram's number, hoping he'd answer.

Hiram picked up the phone. "Rachel!"

"Hey Dad," Rachel said. Hopefully he'd just tell her LeRoy was trying to upset her...

"Your guy had a great night tonight," Hiram said.

"He did, didn't he?" Rachel asked.

"My guy, not so much," Hiram said.

"Daddy was at the debate," Rachel said. "Apparently he's given Russell so much money that he got invited to the debate."

"What?" Hiram asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She decided to just get to it. "He and I were arguing... and then he said that my real father is some college boyfriend of Shelby's..."

There was silence on Hiram's end of the phone. "You weren't supposed to know about that..."

So it was true. "What? Why didn't you guys tell me?"

"We talked to Shelby, and we thought that it would be easier for you if you just thought you were the product of a surrogacy," Hiram said. "I thought in the beginning that you should know the truth, but LeRoy and Shelby insisted that we do it that way..."

"But why?" Rachel asked. The past 22 years had been a lie. She was the daughter of some man whose name she didn't even know.

"It wasn't right of us to lie to you," Hiram admitted. "And I'm sorry that you had to find out like this."

"Ever since I got this job, LeRoy and I have been arguing every time we've talked," Rachel said. "At first I thought he was just saying that to get in my head so I wouldn't be at my best for Santos, but..."

"I'm so sorry," Hiram said.

Rachel didn't feel like talking to Hiram. "What's his name?"

"I don't know," Hiram said. "Shelby didn't tell us."

Rachel wasn't sure if she believed that. After all, for 22 years, she'd been lied to about who her father was. "I'm tired, I have to go."

"Rachel..." Hiram began.

Rachel hung up the phone before she dialed Shelby's phone number. At first she thought LeRoy might just be saying this because he was mad at her for working for Santos instead of Russell, but when Hiram admitted it was true, Rachel now needed answers.

Shelby picked up the phone almost right away. "Hi Rachel."

"Hi Shelby," Rachel said.

"How's the Santos campaign going?" Shelby asked.

"It's good, I think he did well in the debate," Rachel sighed. She figured she'd get to why she was calling. "Shelby, my dads told me that neither of them are my father... that you had me with a boyfriend in college and put me up for adoption. Is that true?"

"You weren't supposed to know that..." Shelby began. "But yes, it's true."

Rachel felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. For 22 years, she'd been led to believe that one of the men who raised her was her biological father. It turned out that the man who helped to create her was likely a man who she hadn't even met. "Why did you have my dads lie to me? Was he some criminal in the making who you didn't want me to know about or something?"

"It's not that at all," Shelby sighed. "He was a great guy... he was smart and he was nice and he was handsome... he just wasn't the guy for me."

"Don't you think he would have wanted to meet his daughter?" Rachel asked.

"He and I were both in bad places in our lives when we dated," Shelby admitted. "He was still in love with his girlfriend from high school who he broke up with before college. I was auditioning for and getting rejected for role after role. Neither of us said it, but we hoped that dating would make things better for us, but it didn't. We couldn't have raised you together."

"Yeah, but why did you lie?" Rachel asked. "Why did you have my dads lie?"

"We thought it would be easier for you," Shelby admitted. "Shortly after I got pregnant, I was so upset and embarrassed, I went back to Ohio, hoping that after I gave up the baby, I could start over. I wrote him a letter to tell him what I was doing."

This was getting worse and worse. "You mean he didn't have a say in this?" Rachel asked.

"He and I were in our first year of college, we couldn't have raise a child together, especially since the relationship wasn't really working for either of us," Shelby said. "I probably should have let him have a say. I thought things would be less complicated if you thought you were always meant for your dads, not the product of two confused, troubled eighteen-year-olds who forgot to use protection one night."

"Well, can you at least tell me his name?" Rachel asked. She felt like she deserved to know that much.

"If I tell you his name, I know you'll go looking for him," Shelby said. "I've looked him up online. He's built a nice life for himself. He's married to his high school girlfriend and he has two young kids..."

So Rachel had two younger siblings who likely didn't even know she existed. "Well, I think I have the right to know who he is. He is my father."

"No, he's not!" Shelby said. "He's the man who provided the sperm for you. You have two fathers. You've got enough on your plate right now with this campaign and he has a life of his own. Your dads don't even know his name and he doesn't know who you went to. I thought this would make the situation easier for everyone involved."

"Well, I hope you will decide to tell me his name," Rachel said. She didn't feel like arguing with Shelby. "Even if I can't meet him, it would be good to know his name or what he looks like or something like that. I've got to go now. We have an event tomorrow." She hung up the phone, feeling more and more annoyed.

Rachel took a walk down the hotel hall, knowing who she needed to talk to. She knocked on the door of Finn's room. He always knew what to say at times like this.

Finn came to the door. "What's going on?"

Rachel felt some comfort. Finn didn't even need to ask that something was wrong. He knew. "I've spent the past 22 years living a lie. My real father is not Hiram or LeRoy Berry. It's some college boyfriend of Shelby's. Shelby and my dads thought my life would be less complicated if they thought she was a surrogate rather than that she gave me up for adoption."

"What?" Finn asked. "Why would they lie to you?"

"I don't even know," Rachel said. "Supposedly to make things easier. They thought I'd go looking for my biodad if I found out who he was. LeRoy got angry at me after the debate and told me, and at first I thought he was lying, but Shelby and Hiram both confirmed that it's true."

"You have a right to know who he is," Finn said. "What's his name?"

"Shelby wouldn't tell me," Rachel said. "She thinks he's a great guy, but apparently now that he's married and has two kids, she thinks I'd be invading his life if I showed up."

"That's really unfair," Finn said. He pulled Rachel in for a hug. "I'm sorry, Rachel."

Rachel snuggled up to Finn as she wrapped her arms around him. At least she knew that Finn was there for her.

 _Chapter 7 preview: Finchel speak at a rally - but how will their comments be received? Finchel also try to find a campaign theme song. Poll numbers begin to change and Finchel find out that familiar faces have been hired by the Vinick campaign._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 7!_


	7. Chapter 7: One Point

_Hey everyone. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. I REALLY appreciated them. I'm sorry it took so long. Those of you who read my Season 7 know that I was dealing with a tough anniversary earlier this week, and that made things tough. For the record, neither song in this chapter is an original song - I can't right songs, trust me. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going :) Let me know what you like._

Chapter 7: One Point

Rachel's phone rang as she was getting ready to leave the hotel. She looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Hiram. Not sure if she wanted to answer it, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Rachel," Hiram said.

"Hi," Rachel said. "Look, we're about to leave, so I don't have much time..."

"Baby, I just want you to know, I'm so sorry this is how you had to find out," Hiram said.

"You could have told me," Rachel said. "Look, we're heading up to Minnesota. It's probably going to be a long plane ride..."

"I just want you to know something," Hiram said. "I didn't want to lie to you about this. I thought you should know the truth. But LeRoy and Shelby insisted that we do things this way."

Was Hiram being honest? Or was this just another way to prove he was a better dad than LeRoy? "Well, do you know my dad's name?"

"I don't," Hiram admitted. "I'm sure he's a good guy though. He did help create you."

Rachel didn't know what to say. "We're leaving for Minnesota soon, Dad. I'll call you later."

"Tell Santos congratulations," Hiram said. "He had a great showing last night."

Rachel managed to smile. "Thanks. I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and went to the plane. She knew Hiram had meant well, but she was still upset about everything.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked Rachel as Rachel sat down next to him.

"I'm holding up," Rachel said. "Finn... please don't tell Matt or Josh or anyone about this. They need us to be at our best..."

"I promise I won't," Finn said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I can't believe they lied to me like that," Rachel told Finn.

"That wasn't okay," Finn agreed.

"Shelby said he was a good guy, but this almost makes me wonder if something's being hidden," Rachel admitted. "I mean, lots of adopted kids know that the people they're living with didn't give birth to them."

"What do you mean, hiding something?" Finn asked.

"I don't want to think my dad's some gigolo like Brody," Rachel groaned. "Shelby was auditioning for lots of parts - what if he's some famewhore like Jesse who cares about nothing but himself and is obsessed with winning and tears everyone else down to get what he wants?"

"I don't know for sure, but I like to think he's a good person," Finn said. "I mean, he helped to create you, and you have to get your niceness somewhere."

"You think I'm a nice person?" Rachel asked. She knew she hadn't been particularly nice to Finn over the past few years.

"Of course I do," Finn said.

Rachel smiled at Finn. "Thanks. So, Minnesota next." She wanted to get her mind off things.

"Yeah," Finn said. "We've been playing time zone hopscotch these past few days."

"Hey, this is what it might take," Rachel said.

"Are any polls up yet?" Finn asked. "Matt's probably gotten a bit of a boost from the debate... I mean, he owned it up there."

"Let's take a look," Rachel said, smiling at Finn's optimism. She pulled up her iPad and went to CNN's homepage. The page had an article declaring Matt Santos the winner of the debate.

"Guess they're recognizing facts," Finn said, giving Rachel a half smile.

"Let's check on the polls," Rachel said. She clicked on the poll icon to see who was winning for the nomination. There were seven Democratic candidates - and to her disappointment, Russell was still on top. The numbers glared at her: Russell 29, Santos 21. "Ugh."

"Hey, the gap's closed," Finn said. "Burt said he was in the single digits at first, and there's only eight points separating them... this is the first time he's been behind with more than double digits..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. She still couldn't help but feel some disappointment. Her candidate had given the debate performance of a lifetime last night - and he still wasn't leading the polls? Two blows in less than 24 hours...

"Hey, it's one poll," Finn said. "I doubt everyone's even seen the debate yet. And he's only going to get better."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "So are you excited for Minnesota?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "As long as you don't make me go shopping at the Mall of America."

"Well, you'd better not make me go on any of the big, scary rides at the indoor amusement park there," Rachel said.

"I guess that's fair," Finn admitted.

"Yeah, that's fair," Rachel giggled.

"Are you ready for our speeches?" Finn asked. He and Rachel had offered to be the staffers to speak at today's rally,

x

The plane ride from Texas to Minnesota was one of the longest so far, going from one of the southernmost states in the country to one of the northernmost. The Mall of America was already being set up for the event. Finn handed out signs to the supporters waiting outside, most of whom were talking about the great performance in the debate yesterday. When Finn got done handing out the signs, he went to the room set aside for the staff, where he noticed a group of senior staff members sitting around a computer. Finn was sure that he heard the Vocal Adrenaline Version of Bohemian Rhapsody coming from the computer. What was going on? Why would they be watching a movie from five years ago?

Finn walked over to the computer. "What's going on?"

"We're just checking out the Vinick rally," Bram said.

Finn looked at the computer. There was Jesse St. James himself, singing Bohemian Rhapsody, with Brody and Sebastian as backup. Wait. This didn't make sense. Did the three of them even know each other? What was going on here? "Holy crap," Finn mumbled.

"Don't worry, you and Rachel are more talented than those three," Josh said.

Finn nodded, but he didn't know what to say. For a brief moment, he wondered what was going on, but then the answer came to him. Coach Sylvester. She was the Vinick campaign manager, after all. And after how she acted when she saw Finn and Rachel in California and the things she'd said on TV, it was clear she had it in for them still. But he couldn't talk about this with the other campaign staff. He couldn't let them think he was still stuck in high school mentally.

"If you and Rachel decide to perform again, our opening performances will be better than his," Ronna said. "Just like our ideas are better, our plans are better, and our candidate's better."

"I actually know those three," Finn said. He didn't want to get into too much detail.

"Are they from your high school too?" Josh asked. He turned to the other staff. "Vinick's campaign manager worked at Finn and Rachel's high school. She's a nutcase."

"Yes, she is," Finn said. "And two of them were in rival glee clubs when I was in high school and the third is someone Rachel knew in college."

"Wow," Otto said.

"Yeah, wow," Finn said.

Rachel came in. "What's going on?"

Finn knew Rachel wouldn't be happy when she saw this. "Sue's not the only Vinick staff member we know."

"Don't tell me LeRoy has decided to become a Vinick supporter," Rachel groaned.

"It's not him," Finn said. "Jesse, Brody and Sebastian were performing at the Vinick rally today."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that they're Republicans?" Rachel asked.

"They performed a weak version of Bohemian Rhapsody," Anna said.

"The version of Don't Stop Believing at our rally was better," Josh said.

"We can do it again today if Rachel wants, to show that we have better performers," Finn said, wondering if he'd spoken too soon.

"Yeah, we can," Rachel said. "Everything counts... we're in a good place after the debate and if we can get our supporters energized... and since Finn and I are speaking at today's rally anyway, we'll be on stage... so we can do it."

"I was really hoping we'd be able to take the top spot after the debate," Josh said.

"Matt looked like a president up there, and Russell looked clueless," Finn said.

"You have to remember, Russell was vice president under Bartlet," Josh reminded Finn and Rachel. "Bartlet was the best president in recent times. That alone is going to make us look good."

"But Bartlet hasn't endorsed Russell," Finn pointed out. That fact made Finn think Russell may not be Bartlet's first choice.

"I'm trying to get his endorsement," Josh said. "I've been talking to him, my friends from my days of interning in the White House have been talking to him."

"Well, we've got to have a good rally today," Finn said. "No doubt Russell's trying to make up for last night today." The points hadn't been what he'd hoped, and now some of his rivals were working on the opposing campaign. Now he was more nervous about possibly saying something stupid.

x

The points had been a disappointment, but Rachel didn't want to make it look like it was upsetting her, especially now that some of her rivals were working on Vinick's campaign. She hadn't been too nervous about speaking, but now she was feeling very nervous. She and Finn had just finished singing Don't Stop Believing and now it was time for them to speak. "Thank you, thank you for the warm welcome," Finn said. "How about last night?"

"I think the winner of the debate was pretty clear," Rachel said. "Don't you?"

The crowd cheered again. "Last night made me so proud to be working for Matt Santos," Finn said. "Can I just say - I completely agree with everything Matt said last night? Why have presidential campaigns become about tearing down your opponents? Why can't they be about showing what you CAN do?"

"We're going to tell you about what Matt can do as president," Rachel said. "There's a plan on his website that's expected to create millions of jobs over the next two years. He has a bill drafted to give to congress for health care to become affordable for everyone. He has plans for the public schools of the country that ensure every child will be meeting their grade level for reading and math. And he advocates to the Supreme Court that everyone can marry the person they love."

"His bills in congress have had some of the most support out of any of the bills," Finn said. "Even in Texas, what's known as a conservative state, he was able to win support. He and my stepfather, Burt Hummel, have been the two congressman who've created the most bipartisan bills out of anyone in congress. For him, this isn't just about party labels. He wants to be the president of everyone and let both sides work together. How many candidates out there think like that?"

"The two of us didn't think we would get this job," Rachel said. "But here we are. Going around the country and getting to talk to so many of you has been the experience of the lifetime. And something that stands out to me is how many different people have been at our events - male, female, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, young, not as young, gay, straight, bi, transgender, cisgender, disabled, able bodied, lower class, middle class, upper class - it's so amazing to see so many different people willing to work together."

"Some candidates have their events by invitation only, but not Matt," Finn said. "Look around you. You're all here, not just because you want to be here, but because we want you here. He cares about you. Each and every one of you. He's fought for you in congress and he'll fight for you as president. Please join us in welcoming the next President of the United States, Matt Santos!"

The crowd cheered as the candidate entered the stage. Finn and Rachel had both been nervous - but they had to admit, what they'd said had been pretty good. Was it possible that some of the cheers were for them, too?

"Thank you, Minnesota," Matt said. "Thank you for being here today. And can I first have some applause for Finn and Rachel? You two were talking about how lucky you are to be working for me, but I hope you know that I'm lucky to have you two."

Finn smiled to Rachel as they went to the side, listening to the applause.

x

There was barely time to rest after the Minneapolis rally. The campaign's next stop was Chicago. To Finn's relief, the comments on the campaign blog about him and Rachel had mostly been complimentary. He was afraid that he'd make a gaffe, but that hadn't been the case.

During the flight from Minneapolis to Chicago, Josh came up to Finn and Rachel. "I was just talking to some of the other senior staff members," Josh said. "I was wondering - do either of you two have any experience with writing songs? We kind of want a campaign theme song - something never heard before, something new and different. The songs we play at rallies are great, but we want something special to us."

Did Finn and Rachel have songwriting experience? To some extent, they did. There had been the songs they'd written in high school... for each other... "We could give it a try," Rachel said.

x

The morning in Chicago was spent canvassing, and then Rachel went to Wrigley Field, where the rally would be held. She had to admit, she liked the idea of writing a campaign theme song. She'd been at the field by herself and tried working on a song, but it didn't feel right. This song didn't feel upbeat enough, so she pushed it aside. She started working on another one, and then Finn came up to her. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm trying to come up with a campaign theme song," Rachel said. "I do have one I'm working on if you want to see it."

"You know I like your songs," Finn said. "Let's see it."

Rachel began singing what she'd written to see what Finn would think.

 _There's a risk worth taking  
Dreams awaken  
And we'll be making something new  
You've got to follow every dream  
Know where to hide  
In places no one's ever seen  
And you will find  
Show the world just who you are  
A shooting star  
Up up and away  
Cause who you're meant to be  
Is right inside  
Yeah you've just got to believe  
And you will find  
Show the world just who you are  
A shooting star  
Up up and away...  
Everyone will say look at him go  
Everyone will say look at him go  
Everyone will say look at him go  
Up up and away..._

"Uh, I don't think that's right," Finn interrupted.

That had been Rachel's fear. "What?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but that song sounds like it came from a movie for young girls about unrealistic dreams," Finn said. "Remember what Mr. Schue told us when we were writing songs?

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"The best songs come from a place of pain," Finn said. "Remember? And I think a song that comes from a place of pain might be good for this campaign. Our country is in a place of pain right now, but Matt can help the country come back from that and bring it to a place of hope..."

Now that Rachel thought about it, the first song she'd written might be a good one. She was self-conscious about it. She hadn't just been thinking about everything the country had been through - but what she herself had been through. "Well, there is another song I wrote, but I worried it wasn't a good idea..."

"Can I hear it?" Finn asked.

If Rachel could trust anyone, it was Finn. "Okay." She sang the song to Finn, hoping it wasn't too bad.

 _Break down_

 _Break down_

 _Break down_

 _I was scared to death I was losing my mind_

 _Break down_

 _I couldn't close my eyes I was pacing all night, oh, no,_

 _I think I found the light at the end of the tunnel (and my doubts)_

 _I couldn't find the truth I was going under_

 _But I won't hide inside_

 _I gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out_

 _Lonely inside and light the fuse_

 _Light it now, light it now, light it now_

 _And now I will start living today, today, today_

 _I close the door_

 _I got this new beginning and I will fly_

 _I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball_

 _I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball_

 _Freedom_

 _I let go of fear and the peace came quickly_

 _Freedom_

 _I was in the dark and then it hit me_

 _I chose suffering and pain in the falling rain_

 _I know, I gotta get out into the world again_

 _But I won't hide inside_

 _I gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out_

 _Lonely inside and light the fuse_

 _Light it now, light it now, light it now_

 _And now I will start living today, today, today_

 _I close the door_

 _I got this new beginning and I will fly_

 _I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball_

 _I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball_

 _Break down_

 _I was scared to death I was losing my mind_

 _Break down_

 _I gotta get out into the world again_

 _And now I will start living today, today, today_

 _I close the door_

 _I got this new beginning and I will fly_

 _I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball_

 _I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball_

 _I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball_

"Wow," Finn said at the end of the song. "That's amazing."

"You like it?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, it's really good," Finn said. "You have to show it to the senior campaign staff. It's perfect for this campaign. Vinick has us all scared of our country's future... but the light is at the end of the tunnel."

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Thanks for listening though."

x

Finn had loved Rachel's song, but he had some work to do - his usual pre-rally task of handing out Santos signs to the crowd. Wrigley Field was practically filled to capacity. To Finn, there was some significance when it came to Wrigley Field - this was one of the places he'd suggested he and Rachel have their wedding. No matter how much time passed, some things would always remind him of their time together. And Rachel's song hadn't just reminded him of what their country had gone through - it reminded him of what they, Finn and Rachel, Finchel, had gone through.

After handing out the signs, Finn went to the bullpen and looked at the polls. By now, everyone probably had seen the debate, so there was time to catch up. All eight of what were expected to be the reliable poll organizations had updated their results: CNN, CSPAN, ABC, NBC, Fox, Time, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Finn looked through the polls, noticing that while Russell still had a lead, the lead was shrinking. Then he opened the New York Times poll. The name on top shocked him.

Santos 27, Russell 26.

"Rachel!" Finn called out when he saw Rachel coming into the bullpen. "Rachel!"

Rachel came over. "What is it?"

Finn held up his computer to show Rachel. "Look at this!"

Rachel looked at the poll, smiled wide and gave Finn a big hug. "Oh my God! We're on top of a poll!"

"It's only one point, and there's the margin of error - but we're on top!" Finn repeated, hugging Rachel back.

"We've got to go tell him!" Rachel said, grabbing Finn's computer and running to the "candidate bullpen," as it had been designated. "Matt, the New York Times has you up!"

"What?" Matt asked.

"You had 27 percent of the vote in The New York Times' new poll, Russell had 26," Finn announced. "They have you leading a poll for the nomination!"

"Are you two messing with me?" Matt asked.

Rachel handed over the computer. Matt looked at it and then hugged both Finn and Rachel as other campaign members began cheering and hugging as well.

They were leading a poll for the first time. The Santos campaign was making progress. Between the debate, the great rallies and now this poll - there might be a President Santos on January 20, 2017.

And if there was, Finn liked to think he'd had something to do with it.

 _Chapter 8 preview: Finn shows Rachel's song to the campaign staff. The campaign is also hit with its first smear ad! (Trigger warning: eating disorders will also be mentioned in the next chapter.)_

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 8!_


	8. Chapter 8: Smear Tactics

_Hi everyone. I know I just updated the other day, but since the real 2016 election will be held on November 8, I wanted to post a chapter today (ironically, Chapter 8 on the 8th). Just a heads up, this chapter deals with a topic I haven't written about before - eating disorders. I did do some research since this plot wasn't in the show, but I do apologize for anything I might have gotten wrong. And to respond to some comments that I've gotten about Finchel - I promise they'll be back together soon, I'm not RIB (I already know when and how they'll get back together and am super excited for it, but like they and other characters have said, they're still getting to know each other again. Before this story began, it had been three years since they even talked. Just be patient and I promise they'll be back soon and bigger than ever before :) I know this chapter's mostly about the campaign, but I did put in some Finchel moments I really liked :) Anyway, enjoy and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 8: Smear Tactics

"Hey you," Rachel said as she came into Finn's hotel room in Coral Gables, Florida.

Finn looked over at Rachel. "What's up?"

"Just watching last night's OSU football game," Finn said. "Which is just finishing." As the game finished, Finn noticed an ad in the suggestions bar by the president's YouTube channel, entitled "Eating Disorder" and noted as being posted five minutes ago. "Oh God, the president has a new ad."

"Oh no," Rachel groaned. "What's he have to say this time?"

"It's about eating disorders, apparently," Finn said. He clicked the link, and he was surprised when footage of his candidate speaking at a health care event came up.

"Matt Santos is always talking about health and health care," the voiceover on the ad said. "Well, if he's so into health and health care, then tell us Matt: why don't you talk about how you passed out on the floor during your first year of Congress and that it was because at the time you were suffering from an eating disorder, and there's hospital records to prove it? If Matt Santos can't take care of himself, what makes him think he can take care of America?" Then the president's face appeared on the ad screen, and his smug voice came on. "I'm Arnold Vinick, I can take care of myself and of the country, and I approve this message."

"What a fucking asshole!" Rachel gasped.

Finn looked at Rachel. "I didn't know you had this in you."

"Well, I do when people make things like this," Rachel said. Then again, Sue had spoken out against her and Finn's candidate for hiring staff members with gay relatives, so this shouldn't have been too much of a surprise.

"Hey, he seems to be over the eating disorder," Finn said. "We've seen him eat." He hit the replay button, and paused it when the paperwork came up. How had the president even gotten this paperwork? Finn was sure he'd remembered Burt mentioning to him that one of his colleagues had passed out on the floor during a vote at the time and was later hospitalized... but this was such a low, even for Sue and Vinick. Attacking people for their positions was one thing, but this?

"Holy fucking shit," Rachel snapped. "I can not believe that ad is airing."

"Well, you remember the ads Sue made about Burt," Finn said. "I mean, baboon heart? Calling my mom a donkey?"

"Yeah, but that was a congress election and everyone knew that wasn't true," Rachel said. "You'd think that the president would have more class..."

"We've met him," Finn said. "Like you said, he's a fucking asshole."

"He did get elected president with over 100 more electoral votes than required," Rachel sighed. "Like I said... I thought he had some class..."

"How wrong we were," Finn said. "He'd better not get away with this ad like Kitty got away with the manipulating Marley into having an eating disorder..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I mean, Sue did talk about you and me having gay relatives, but at least that's sort of a political stance. How is an eating disorder something you can make an ad out of? President Asshole sounded like he was making fun of it at the end of the ad! 'I'm Arnold Vinick, I can take care of myself AND this country and I approve this message...' How the hell did he even get that paperwork?"

"As much as we dislike it, he is the president," Finn groaned. "He has access to just about everything he wants..."

Finn heard a knock at the door. "Come in." If this was a campaign staff member, they should know about the ad... but what would the candidate himself think when he heard about it?

Josh came into the room. "Hey guys, when the congressman's back from his press conference, he wants to go over the post you guys made for the blog about young people and their involvement in the election..."

Finn looked at Rachel. It seemed like Josh hadn't heard about the ad yet. "The Vinick campaign came out with a new ad..."

"Oh, what do they have to say this time?" Josh asked.

"You'll need to see this one, and you're not going to like it," Finn said. "No one here is."

"Well, what do we like that he does?" Josh asked.

"It's not what you think it is," Rachel said as she pressed the play button. Finn felt just as sick listening to the ad again. He'd always known everyone was fighting some battle. The candidate he was working for to get elected president had battled what could have been a fatal illness. Finn had never seen this coming. What would the American public think when they saw this ad? They'd gotten a bump in the polls, but if the president was willing to shame Matt Santos for having battled an eating disorder, would Russell be willing to do so, too? And what if the voters thought he was incapable?

"Fuck that asshole!" Josh shouted at the end of the ad. He paused. "Wait... Finn, Rachel, you didn't hear that."

"It's fine, Rachel called the president a fucking asshole after we saw the ad," Finn said.

"We all know he is," Josh said.

"So, this is true?" Finn asked. He'd hoped it was a lie of some sort and the paperwork was fake, but Josh's reaction confirmed that it was true. Finn was hoping secretly that it was a different colleague who Burt had been talking about...

"Yes, it's true," Josh said. "He had an eating disorder during his first year of congress. He went to therapy and he's eating normally again..."

"Is he okay?" Rachel asked.

"You guys see him, he eats," Josh said.

Finn didn't know what to say. "Well... he's okay now, I guess..."

"God, Helen's going to be so pissed when she finds out about this," Josh continued. "She hated all the press coverage of the eating disorder after he passed out on the floor... she almost made him leave Congress..."

"But he's okay now?" Rachel asked again.

"He's fine, he went to therapy," Josh said. "Look, this isn't the first time I've been working for a candidate with a complicated health history... you know Bartlet has MS... he covered it up during the campaign and it broke after he was elected. At least we're dealing with this now..."

"So, it was when he first started in congress?" Rachel asked.

"He told me about it when I first approached him to see if he wanted to run for president," Josh admitted. "It took time to adjust to being in congress and holding such a big position... and he stopped eating. He could sometimes go for days at a time without eating. He told me that he always had body image issues. He didn't even tell Helen that he wasn't eating, but then he passed out on the floor and had to spend a few weeks in the hospital. He had to go to counseling to get back to eating again."

Finn didn't know how to respond to that. Could this perhaps ruin the campaign?

"He's not hiding it," Josh continued, sounding like he was trying to reassure himself as much as Finn and Rachel. "There was press coverage when he passed out and was in the hospital... people can find those... he told people that he was getting help and I think he's proven he's overcome it... I'm calling the president's campaign manager!"

"This was probably her idea," Rachel sighed.

"She can't get away with it," Josh said. He picked up his phone and dialed the number, Finn wondering what Sue would say. To no surprise, it sounded like Sue didn't even answer the phone. "Ms. Sylvester, my name is Josh Lyman and I'm Matt Santos's campaign manager. I saw your new ad and let me tell you, this is completely unacceptable. This is smear..."

The door opened, and Matt Santos himself came in. Finn gulped. Of all times. He and Rachel had been the ones who'd found this ad... what if they got in trouble. From the look on Matt's face, he didn't know about the ad.

Luckily, Josh hung up the phone and turned to Matt. "Matt, the president posted a new ad earlier today... and I don't know how to show it to you..."

Rachel gave Finn a nervous look. "What did he say this time?" Matt asked.

"Well..." Josh began. "I'll just show you. There's no good way to let you know about this... and you should probably call Helen and tell her about it before she sees it herself..." He pressed the play button and the ad played. The ad made Finn feel sick even though he'd seen it before.

"Sir, let me tell you, I'll make sure your doctors talk to the media... make sure they know the eating disorder is under control..." Josh said. "But I think you should call Helen and tell her about this."

"Helen's going to be so angry," Matt said. "Vinick should be afraid..."

"I'm sorry," Finn said.

"Sadly, this happens a lot in politics," Josh admitted.

"Doesn't mean it's not upsetting, having dark periods of your life broadcasted for the world to see," Matt admitted. "Male eating disorders are often ignored in society because they think of us as being tough... but they happen. Eating disorders aren't a female problem, they can happen to anyone. I was lucky to get help and go to therapy and get better, but not everyone is. I probably should have talked about it more when I decided to run for president... since there was so much press coverage after I passed out, I figured everyone would know. I was known as that guy on Capitol Hill for a while."

"Hey, this isn't your fault," Finn said. "The president is a jerk, I think we all know that."

Matt's phone started ringing. "Oh no."

"Helen?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right back," Matt said. "I think I'll have some explaining to do."

The ad kept playing over and over in Finn's head. He was sure that not only Vinick would use this ad, but the other Democrats in the primaries might use this against them, too. There would probably be lots of articles all over the internet by the end of the day, questioning if Matt Santos was tough enough to be president if he developed an eating disorder while in congress.

x

Rachel lay in her hotel bed, hoping that this would pass. Today's rally had been fun enough, but there was that cloud hanging over everyone's heads. The campaign had issued a statement, but everyone knew this wasn't going to go away. She hadn't looked at any polls since the ad had been posted, and she didn't want to.

She knew that she'd gotten involved with a long shot candidate, but the debate had gone so well and the rallies were going so well. Maybe she shouldn't have let that poll get to her head. It was one poll. They were only one point up in one poll. There was the margin of error...

Still, that ad had crushed her spirit. She was sure it had crushed Finn's as well. She kept going between shock, disbelief, anger and fear. Matt Santos seemed healthy now, but people relapsed. It wasn't just about him as a presidential candidate. This was someone she was growing close to and coming to look up to. This was the person who'd hired both her and Finn, bringing them back together after three years.

She felt horrible for the family too. She was sure that Helen reacted similarly to how she would react if someone put an ad like that about Finn on TV. And the kids. They were too young to really understand what an eating disorder was. They were so innocent... and now they were going to have to learn that their father had battled a potentially fatal disease.

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang. She saw that it was Shelby. If this call had come through a few days ago, Rachel wouldn't have picked it up, but she needed to keep her mind off things. "Hello?"

"Hi," Shelby said.

"Hi," Rachel said. "How are you?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Shelby said. "I know today was a rough day for the campaign..."

"Yeah, it was," Rachel said. After what happened the other day, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be completely vulnerable with Shelby.

"It'll be okay, you'll all be okay," Shelby said. "I'm sure this will pass."

"I hope it will," Rachel said. "He's in good health now, he went to therapy..."

"He's a strong man," Shelby said. "I can tell."

Rachel didn't feel like arguing with Shelby. Rachel now knew from both Santos and Vinick you didn't really know a politician until you really got to know them as a person. "Yeah, he is."

"Rachel, listen," Shelby said. "I'm sorry about our argument the other night..."

"So, are you going to tell me my dad's name?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel..." Shelby began.

"Look Shelby, I appreciate you calling to check on me, but it was a long day and I'm really not in the mood to argue with you right now," Rachel said. "Unless you're going to tell me my dad's name, I really don't feel like talking about this particular subject."

"I hope you know, I'm only not telling because it would complicate things too much," Shelby said. "You have so much on your plate right now, and it would be confusing for you, to say the least. He has a life. He's married to the woman he loved even when he and I were dating, and they have a son and a daughter..."

Well, there was a piece of information that Rachel didn't have earlier. She had a brother and a sister. "Shelby, I'm tired, it was a long day," Rachel said. "Thanks for checking up on me." Maybe it was for the better that she didn't know her father's identity anyway. Even though she talked to Shelby now, it was more of a friendship and mentor type relationship than a mother/daughter relationship. If her biological father had two kids of his own, she probably wouldn't have a father/daughter bond with him either, even if she did meet him.

Rachel went next door to Finn's room. She knocked on the door, hoping he'd answer. Sure enough, Finn came to the door. "Hey. Having trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn said. "But we're going across the country tomorrow, so we probably should be sleeping."

"I just hope things are okay," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn sighed. "He seems so strong... I know he went to therapy, but he could relapse..."

"We can just hope the press doesn't give us a hard time about this, because I'm sure Vinick and Sue are getting a kick out of it," Rachel said. "I was just thinking... this has got to be humiliating, bring back bad memories, not just for him, but for Helen and the kids. We were just playing with the kids the other day... they're so young..."

"I know," Finn said.

"Speaking of kids, Shelby called to check on me," Rachel said. "I didn't get her to tell me my dad's name yet, but she did tell me that he has a son and a daughter."

"So you have a brother and sister," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She'd been wondering about her siblings' genders - now she knew.

x

The flight from Florida to Montana was very quiet. Rachel wanted to say something to Finn to break the tension, but no one else was talking. The communication director said that newspapers and magazines from all over the country were calling to ask about the eating disorder. That wasn't a surprise, but it was still a reminder. One of Matt's friends from the Marines who lived in Florida had offered to fly the plane today, and Helen and the kids had come out. The kids were sitting with Finn and Rachel in the front of the plane, watching a movie after Finn and Rachel offered to hang out with them so their parents could be together.

"Is my dad okay?" Peter asked Finn, seemingly out of nowhere. "Mom said we came because he needs us."

Rachel looked at Finn. "Yeah, he's fine," Finn said. "The president's just being mean because he was sick a few years ago."

"Yeah, I remember," Peter said. "He was in the hospital. Mom wouldn't let us see him, just talk to him on the phone."

"Why's the president being mean?" Miranda asked. "Being sick isn't fun."

"The president isn't very nice," Rachel admitted.

"Then he shouldn't be president," Peter said.

"We're doing everything we can to get your dad elected president instead," Finn said, forcing a smile.

"Enjoying the movie?" Helen asked as she and Matt came over.

"Yeah," Peter said.

"So, this is state #29, I heard," Helen said to Finn and Rachel. "You guys are going to have all 50 states covered."

"That's the goal," Finn said.

"I'm going to steal these two for a minute," Helen said. "I know Matt wanted to look at the entry you two wrote for the blog."

"Yeah, it kind of got pushed aside with everything that happened yesterday," Rachel said.

"Can we finish the movie after he reads it?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, of course," Rachel said.

"You're really good with the kids," Finn whispered to Rachel. "Whoever your little brother and sister are... they'd be lucky to have you in their lives."

"I do want to meet them," Rachel admitted.

"How's our blog?" Finn asked.

"It's good," Matt said. "You guys can publish it."

"Your health is normal now, right?" Rachel asked.

"I wouldn't be running for president if I wasn't in good health," Matt said. "And don't worry, I won't ask you two to write anything for the blog about this. I'll handle anything about the eating disorder."

"Okay," Rachel said.

"And about today's rally," Matt continued. "With everything that happened yesterday, I forgot to ask: Rachel, do you think you'd like to perform Cannonball, that song you wrote at the rally? Finn showed it to Josh and me..."

Rachel didn't know what to say. Finn had shown them the song? "I hope you're not mad," Finn said. "I just thought it would be perfect for the campaign, and I know you were a bit hesitant..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Yeah, I'd love to." She gave Finn a smile to thank him.

 _Chapter 9 preview: The campaign deals with the smear ad and some polls come out. When Burt helps out with the campaign at a stop, Rachel really talks with her friends for the first time since That's So Rachel. More Finchel moments too :)_


	9. Chapter 9: A Lot of Fight Left

Hey _guys. Thanks so much for all the reviews on the fanfics. I know I've said this before, but I really appreciate all of you sticking around, especially since there are so few Finchel fanfics around these days and the ones that are around don't get many reviews :( I've said this before, we need to keep Finchel going! I'm sorry this is a longer chapter, but hopefully you guys won't mind :) I got to write Finchel/Klaine and the Hudson-Hummel family again, which I always enjoy. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

 _And for fans of both shows reading this - there will be two pregnancies in this fic, one from each show :) Always like giving you guys a little spoiler now and then :)_

Chapter 9: A Lot of Fight Left

Finn felt his phone vibrating and saw that it was Burt. He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Finn," Burt said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," Finn said.

"Are you guys okay?" Burt asked. "Is Matt okay? I saw the new ad..."

The ad had certainly circulated fast. "We're all hanging in there. It upset him, I could tell... but at least he had Helen and the kids with him for a little."

"That's good," Burt said. "Hey, I was wondering, do you guys have anything lined up for a week from today?"

Finn looked at the calendar. "Actually, we don't yet..."

"I just booked OSU for the day for one of my rallies for my race for Senate, and I was thinking, how about a combined appearance?" Burt asked. "Ohio's a pretty important state in the general. Plus, it would be nice to see you."

Finn liked that idea. "Yeah, I'll talk to him. I do miss you and Mom and Kurt."

"It's so odd not having both of you here," Burt said. "At least we have social media to keep up with you."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I'm sorry I haven't been calling more... I try to call when I can, but sometimes I'm just so tired."

"You're helping with a presidential campaign, you're allowed to be tired," Burt said. "Just think: when all this is over, you'll be able to say you worked for the President of the United States."

Finn smiled to himself. He definitely liked the sound of that. "I hope..."

"You will," Burt said. "I know you and I know Rachel and I know Matt."

"The ad definitely took its toll on us," Finn admitted. "We had rallies yesterday and today, but I could tell he didn't even have the energy he usually does in his speeches."

"What the president did was not okay," Burt said. "You remember I told you and your mom and Kurt about it at the time. He's always been thin, but he was even more thin back then. We definitely bonded as new members of congress and I would notice how he'd never go out for lunch with the rest of us, but I hoped that meant he wanted to eat in his office or something. When he passed out on the floor before the vote, I even think some of the Republicans were upset."

"He seems okay now," Finn said. "I mean, I see him eat..."

"He is fine now," Burt said. "My point is, what the president did wasn't okay."

"Josh called up the campaign and we still haven't gotten an apology," Finn admitted. "Sadly, I don't think Vinick and Sue are capable of apologizing."

"We both know both of them," Burt admitted. "But I also know Matt. You know he's one of my closest friends in congress. He'll come back from this."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Look, I'll see about the rally in Ohio, but I really like that idea."

"Thanks Finn," Burt said. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, let me know," Burt said, hanging up the phone as Rachel came in. "Hey Rach."

"Bad news," Rachel groaned as she handed the computer to Finn.

Finn took a look at the polls. The one point lead was gone in the New York Times poll. Russell once again had the lead in all the polls - and in some of the polls, the governor of Pennsylvania, Eric Baker, was in second place. "What the heck? Our candidate has the best policies, it was the consensus that he said the best things at the debate..."

"You and I both know what this is about," Rachel groaned.

"You think we can't find a million things that are wrong with Vinick?" Finn asked. "There's things that are wrong with the other Democrats, too, I'm sure..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We start working to come back right now."

"Well, there is another debate in a few weeks," Finn said. "And Burt actually just called. He was hoping we could have a joint appearance at his rally for Senate at OSU next week. I was looking at the calendar, and we don't have anything set up for that day..."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Rachel said. Then she paused. "Do your parents know that I'm working on the campaign, too?"

"Yeah, of course they do," Finn said.

"Are they okay with it?" Rachel asked. "I mean, I know I'm not exactly Miss Popular with our group from high school after how I disappeared after That's So Rachel..."

"Of course they are," Finn said. "Besides, it's not like I can judge you. I'm the one who told you no contact..." It was spending all this time with Rachel that made him realize how much he'd missed her. He shouldn't have told her no contact.

"Yeah, but I just disappeared," Rachel said. Finn noticed how worried Rachel looked and he just wanted to hug her and tell her that it would be okay. "Do you think he'll bring Kurt with him?"

"I don't know," Finn said. "I know Kurt's doing as much as he can for Burt from New York, since I can't do much with all my work here."

"True," Rachel said. "Maybe if he does, Kurt and I could talk... I miss him."

"I'm sure he'd be willing to talk to you," Finn said. "Even if he wouldn't, I'd talk to him."

"I actually was going to tell you, in light of the ad and the new polls, I had a song in mind for today's rally," Rachel said, showing Finn the music for the song she'd picked out.

Finn looked. "Yeah, that's perfect."

x

Rachel didn't want to show Finn how nervous she was about seeing his family again at the event next week. It turned out that the campaign thought it would be great to do some campaigning for Burt. Rachel missed Burt and Carole, but she remembered how Tina had acted at the New York rally, and it was possible that even though Kurt hadn't acted that way, he, Burt and Carole might resent Rachel for hurting Finn the fall after they graduated, then completely dropping out of their lives.

"Want to go pick up the stuff for today's event?" Finn asked, interrupting Rachel's thoughts.

"Yeah, let's go," Rachel said, secretly hoping today's event would go well. The crowds were still enthusiastic, but every time the media contacted the campaign, questions about the eating disorder seemed to come in.

Finn and Rachel walked into Josh's suite, where Josh was watching TV with a blond woman Finn and Rachel hadn't seen before. "Our country is stronger and healthier than it's been in years," Vinick was saying on the TV.

"Holy crap," Rachel thought out loud. "Is he saying what I think he's saying?"

"I really hope not," Josh said.

"But there's still a lot of work to be done," Vinick continued. "And it's important that each and every one of us not only do what we can to take care of our country, but do what we can to take care of ourselves."

"He's actually doing this," Finn said. "The whole 'I can take care of myself and of the country' thing..."

"Thank you all for being here today," Vinick said. "It's because of all of you that our country is in such great shape."

"Not only is he a jerk, he's an idiot," Rachel said. "Our country's in worse shape than it was under Ritchie!"

"And let's all get going now, because I'm really hungry, so I'm going to go have a nice big lunch!" Vinick declared as the crowd cheered and laughed.

"Go to hell!" Josh shouted at the TV. He looked at Finn and Rachel. "Oh no, you heard me do that again."

"You think we don't think that all the time?" Finn asked.

"He's prone to that," the woman said. "I'm Donna Moss, Josh's fiancé. You're the aides who also perform at the rallies, right?"

"Yes we are," Rachel said. "I'm Rachel Berry. This is Finn Hudson."

"Nice to meet you," Donna said. "Josh and I were actually hoping you two would sing at our wedding."

A wedding? Rachel's mind flashed back to her and Finn's almost wedding, then Mr. Schue's almost wedding.

"That would be great," Finn said.

"Good," Josh said. "We were hoping for a White House wedding since we met when we were on the staff at the White House under Bartlet, but I doubt Vinick would let us..."

That made Rachel think. She and Finn had reunited because of the campaign... if there was a Santos presidency, would he possibly let them have a wedding at the White House? Rachel stopped herself. She was getting too ahead of herself. She and Finn weren't even back together. "Speaking of the president, that speech was out of line."

"What doesn't he do that's out of line?" Josh asked. "The campaign's communications director called me to say that he pulled the eating disorder ad from the lineup, and literally ten minutes after I hung up with him, he apparently got fired."

"What?" Rachel asked. "That's not right. I mean, Finn and I were just looking at polls. That ad is making us slip! This is about his personal health and it's a private issue. It has nothing to do with how he'll govern."

"Yeah," Finn added. "If someone made fun of Vinick the way he was making fun of Matt in his speech just now, the secret service would come after them and he'd throw a fit."

"Matt's not going to talk about that speech, I know him," Josh said. "He's always trying to avoid being negative."

"True," Rachel said. "We just need to get ourselves back up in the polls. The Iowa Caucus is less than two months away."

"Do you think he saw that speech?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Josh admitted. "He was looking at some ads with the communications team. We released a statement about the eating disorder to the press where we talked about how much better health he's in now. The best we can do is hope for this to pass. You two have a song picked out for today's rally?"

"Yeah, and it's on the campaign's playlist," Rachel said.

"Great," Josh said as Matt came in. He turned to Matt. "How are the new ads?"

"I think they're good," Matt said. "Helen texted me to say the president is apparently really hungry, so he's off to have a really big lunch..."

"I'm sorry," Josh said. "The best you can do is not let it get to you."

"I have a feeling Sue Sylvester came up with at least some of those things," Finn said.

"I know that I'm healthy now and gained back the weight I lost, but it still hurts to have him saying those things," Matt said. "One of the hardest things about being in my position is when people say these things, you have to act like they don't hurt you, but they do."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. She thought she knew what it was like to be made fun of, but compared to having a health issue made fun of on national television, the slushies and name calling were nothing. Even the criticism of That's So Rachel wasn't like this.

"Anyway, we have a rally to get to," Matt said. "Let's see if Charleston's ready for us."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Let's do this." She and Finn stepped on to the stage for today's performance.

 _Rachel: Like a small boat  
On the ocean  
Sending big waves Into motion  
Just like how a single word  
Can make a heart open  
I might only have one match  
But I can make an explosion  
Finn: And all those things I didn't say  
Wrecking balls inside my brain  
I will scream them loud tonight  
Can you hear my voice this time  
Finn and Rachel: This is my fight song  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My power's turned on  
(Starting right now) I'll be strong  
I'll play my fight song  
And I don't really care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me  
Finn: Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep  
Everybody's worried about me  
In too deep  
Say I'm in too deep (Rachel: I'm in too deep)  
Rachel: And it's been two years  
I miss my home  
But there's a fire burning in my bones  
And I still believe  
Yeah I still believe  
Finn: And all those things I didn't say  
Wrecking balls inside my brain  
Rachel: I will scream them loud tonight  
Can you hear my voice this time_

 _Finn and Rachel: This is my fight song  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My power's turned on  
Starting right now I'll be strong  
I'll play my fight song  
And I don't really care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me  
A lot of fight left in me  
Finn: Like a small boat  
On the ocean  
Rachel: Sending big waves  
Into motion  
Finn: Like how a single word  
Can make a heart open  
Rachel: I might only have one match  
But I can make an explosion  
Finn and Rachel: This is my fight song  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My power's turned on  
Starting right now I'll be strong  
I'll play my fight song  
And I don't really care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me  
Now I've still got a lot of fight left in me_

After the song, Finn and Rachel went off to the side and listened to the speech, noticing something different about halfway through.  
"In the first debate, I suggested that rather than tearing our opponents down, those of us running for president should build ourselves up, but that hasn't been the case," Matt said. "Over the past few days, there has been a lot of talk about the eating disorder I suffered during my first year of congress. Let me start off by saying that it has nothing to do with what type of president I'd be. I've seen doctors and been to therapy. I'd say that I was surprised people are talking about it, but I'm not. The fact is, every single one of us is fighting a battle with ourselves, a battle that most people around us know nothing about. Some of us talk about it. Some of us don't. We live in a stressful world that stresses perfection. It's easy to feel like you're not good enough. In an effort to feel better about themselves, some people tear others down. I'm not perfect. I'm not a perfect person and I'm not going to be a perfect president. I'll do the best that I can, but I know I will make mistakes. My point is - whether it's in our personal lives or in our professional lives, we all have faults, and if we say we don't, that's dishonest. It's okay to not be perfect. It's okay to not get a perfect score on every test or to lose a few games here and there. But bringing attention to others' imperfections isn't going to make yours go away. I know that I have a lot of fight left in me."

The crowd applauded, probably the loudest a crowd had ever applauded at a speech. Finn looked over at Rachel and smiled, and Rachel smiled back.

x

The day of the rally with the combined appearance with Burt was today and to say Rachel was nervous would be an understatement.

Kurt had been her best friend in high school, but they'd definitely had their ups and downs. Right before Rachel had left for LA, she and Kurt had gotten into an argument about him feeling like she wasn't loyal enough to her. Then she cut off all communication with everyone after That's So Rachel flopped.

"You okay?" Finn asked.

"Just nervous about seeing your family," Rachel admitted. The Santos campaign was already at OSU, waiting in the locker room for the Hummel campaign to arrive.

"It's going to be okay," Finn said.

A few moments later, Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine came in. Rachel gulped. She had sort of expected Kurt to show up, but definitely not Blaine.

"Rachel!" Carole said, giving Rachel a hug. "We've missed you."

Rachel smiled. "I missed you guys too."

"Finn's not giving you too hard a time, is he?" Burt asked.

"No," Rachel said. "It's been a lot of fun working with him."

"I like working with her too," Finn said. "We've been having fun."

"Maybe the four of you could do a song together today," Carole said, motioning toward Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine.

"Yeah, that might be fun," Finn said. "The four of us haven't gotten to do a quartet."

"I'm going to go check with Matt about today's events," Burt said. "I'll be right back. Good to see you again, Rachel."

"You too," Rachel said. After Burt and Carole left, Rachel tried to think of the right things to say to Kurt and Blaine. "So, when's the wedding going to be?"

"We're thinking after Blaine graduates from NYADA," Kurt said. "I wanted you to be in it, but then you just disappeared..."

Rachel had hoped to be in the wedding, too. "I'm sorry."

"Why did you disappear like that?" Blaine asked. "I mean, deleting all your social networking accounts, changing your number..."

"You guys saw That's So Rachel," Rachel admitted. "I was humiliated. I didn't think you guys would want to be affiliated with me after that."

"Is that what you really thought?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Rachel admitted.

"Rachel, we're your friends," Blaine said. "We were worried about you."

"So was I," Finn said. "When they told me you deleted everything... I didn't know what that meant."

"I also didn't want people to find me," Rachel said. "I was honestly surprised I got this job. I couldn't even get jobs busing tables."

"Well, that's those employers' loss," Kurt said. "You're happy here, right?"

"Yeah, I am," Rachel said.

"We've been having a lot of fun," Finn added. "Getting to see the country and talk to all sorts of people has been awesome. The other campaign staff is fun to be with."

"So, what's the presidential candidate like?" Blaine asked. "Besides very good looking..."

Kurt slapped Blaine's wrist. "Hey, you're marrying me!"

Finn and Rachel both laughed. "He's a nice guy," Rachel said. "He'll be a great president, but he's a great boss too. Really easy to go to."

"I can't believe Russell's still leading the polls and not him," Blaine said.

"Well, until that ad the president made aired, he was well on his way to the lead," Finn said. "We'll just need to get that lead back."

"Seriously guys, I am sorry I disappeared like that," Rachel said. "I really missed you."

"We missed you too," Kurt said. "You shouldn't have thought we wouldn't be your friends anymore."

"Thanks," Rachel said. "How's New York?"

"Not quite the same without you there," Kurt said. "We did all meet up in front of the loft like you suggested, but we missed you. I can't believe I'm going to graduate from NYADA in the spring."

"He has a job offer from Vogue for after graduation," Blaine announced.

"What?" Finn asked. "Kurt, why didn't you tell me that?"

"I was going to tell you, but someone beat me to it," Kurt said.

"I'm so happy for you," Rachel said. She remembered how much Kurt had enjoyed working at Vogue when they lived in the loft together.

Burt and Carole came back in with Matt. "Matt, you may remember my son Kurt from the congress dinner," Burt said. "And this is his fiance, Blaine."

"Even more attractive in person," Blaine said, smirking at Kurt.

"Blaine, stop it!" Kurt said before turning to Matt. "Nice to see you again, sir."

"And it is nice to meet you," Blaine added. "Hope Finn and Rachel haven't been too much of a pain." He winked at Finn and Rachel.

"Eh, they're not bad," Matt laughed, shaking hands with Kurt and Blaine. "Thanks for coming today."

"Of course, we're doing what we can to get you president and Burt in the Senate," Blaine said.

x

A few hours later, Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine were on the stage together for their first performance together in years. Finn knew that Rachel had been nervous about seeing Kurt and Blaine again after all these years, so he was glad that things had gone well. He'd always wanted to do a fun quartet with Rachel, Kurt and Blaine and he had to admit - all four of their voices sounded amazing together.

 _Rachel: I been knocking on the door that holds the throne_

 _I been looking for the map that leads me home_

 _Finn: I been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone_

 _The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone_

 _Finn and Rachel: We take care of our own_

 _We take care of our own_

 _Wherever this flag's flown_

 _We take care of our own_

 _Kurt: From Chicago to New Orleans, from the muscle to the bone_

 _From the shotgun shack to the Superdome_

 _Blaine: There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home_

 _There ain't no one hearing the bugle blowin'_

 _Kurt and Blaine: We take care of our own_

 _We take care of our own_

 _Wherever this flag's flown_

 _We take care of our own_

 _Kurt: Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see_

 _Blaine: Where're the hearts that run over with mercy_

 _Finn: Where's the love that has not forsaken me_

 _Rachel: Where's the work that set my hands, my soul free_

 _Kurt and Rachel: Where's the spirit that'll reign, reign over me_

 _Finn and Kurt: Where's the promise from sea to the shining sea_

 _Finn and Blaine: Where's the promise from sea to the shining sea_

 _Finn: Wherever this flag is flown_

 _Blaine: Wherever this flag is flown_

 _Kurt: Wherever this flag is flown_

 _Rachel: We take care of our own_

 _Finn: We take care of our own_

 _Rachel: Wherever this flag's flown_

 _Kurt: We take care of our own_

 _Blaine: We take care of our own_

 _Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine: We take care of our own_

 _Wherever this flag's flown_

 _We take care of our own_

The audience applauded at the end of the song, and Finn saw Rachel hugging both Kurt and Blaine. He smiled as he walked off the stage with Rachel, Kurt and Blaine as a few local politicians came on stage to talk before Burt and Matt's speeches.

"That was good," Rachel said as they waited for Burt and Matt to speak. "I'm glad my voice still sounds good with Kurt's and Blaine's."

"Of course it does!" Finn said.

"It seems like you two are doing really good things for this campaign," Kurt said. "Not just your performances, but I read your blogs all the time..."

"Thanks," Finn said.

"I'm sorry about cutting off contact," Rachel said.

"You don't have to keep apologizing," Blaine said. "Just text us when you can, okay?"

"I will," Rachel said.

Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine continued talking. It felt like the old days, as Finn and Rachel filled in Kurt and Blaine about the campaign staff and the places they'd been, and Kurt and Blaine talked about what was new with everyone in New York.

"And now," the event's MC announced, "please welcome the next President of the United States, Matt Santos, and the next US Senator from Ohio, Burt Hummel!"

Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine joined in the applause. "The two best members of congress," Finn said.

"Hopefully holding higher offices after the election," Kurt added.

 _SONGS: Fight Song by Rachel Platten (performed by Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry) and We Take Care Of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen (performed by Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry)_

 _Chapter 10 preview: When the campaign heads for New York for the second debate, Rachel and Finn spend some time with their friends living there - and are reminded again of their special times in New York. Can the debate help the campaign bounce back? The campaign also gets a big endorsement._


	10. Chapter 10: Reunion, Take Two

_Hi! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Like I said, I would have updated sooner, but I wanted to wait until after the holiday. I really appreciated all the reviews on the last chapter, though there are some things I'd like to address. I've gotten comments about there not being enough romance - I'm trying to build things up, but the next few chapters will have some Finchel moments that I've already written and am VERY excited about. And I also got a review about me not leaving reviews on fics - if you write Finchel fics, PLEASE let me know, I'd love to read them, since there aren't enough Finchel fics these days! Anyway, thanks again for the support. Hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 10: Reunion, Take Two

"I'd forgotten how nice New York was at this time of year," Rachel said as she and Finn stepped off the plane.

Finn looked around. "Wow, I've never seen decorations like this before."

"Yeah, New York goes all out," Rachel said. She had to smile about being back in New York. The second debate was being held at NYU the day before Thanksgiving, so the campaign was spending a few days here for debate prep. The senior campaign staff had offered to give Finn and Rachel some time off to visit with their friends in New York. After what happened at the Ohio rally, Rachel wasn't sure if she wanted to go to visit everyone, but then she remembered that Kurt and Blaine hadn't been mad at her at last week's rally, so maybe it was worth a try.

"Are you nervous?" Finn asked.

"I'm sure they need my help with something back at headquarters..." Rachel began.

Finn took both Rachel's hands. "Rachel, you saw Kurt and Blaine. They miss you. We're still your friends."

"You heard what Tina said at the first rally," Rachel said. "She insulted me, insulted our candidate..."

"It wouldn't be Tina if she wasn't making gaffes," Finn said. "Rachel, it's going to be fine. I was nervous as hell to be working with you at first, but now look at us."

Rachel smiled up at Finn. "Well... from the beginning, you were always willing to give me a chance... you were my first friend..." She didn't know what else to say. Her words from that day in the auditorium came back... "You were the first boy who made me feel loved, and sexy, and visible." Finn still made her feel loved, even though they weren't together.

"What is it?" Finn asked.

"Nothing," Rachel said. "Let's go see our friends."

"Yeah, OUR friends," Finn said. He took Rachel's hand as they walked up to the apartment building where their friends lived. Rachel had to admit, she liked that Finn was holding her hand. It still felt good, just as she remembered.

Finn rang the bell and shortly after, Kurt and Blaine came downstairs. "Hey!" Kurt said, hugging both Finn and Rachel. "In town for the debate?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "We got some time off so we can come visit you guys."

"Though I don't know if people will want to see me," Rachel said.

"I'm sure they will, though your visit is a bit of a surprise," Blaine said. "We're having one of our weekly dinners, so come on up."

"Okay," Rachel said. "So, how is everyone?"

"Everyone's great, I'm sure they'll be glad to see you," Kurt said as he opened the door. "Look who's here!"

"Hey!" Mercedes said, running over to hug Finn and Rachel. "How's the campaign?"

"It's going well," Finn said. "We're here in New York for the second debate, so our supervisors said we could have some time off to visit you guys."

"Good thing you can visit since it's so hard to get you to answer texts, Finn," Puck said.

"Sorry man," Finn admitted. "We're just busy ALL the time."

"We do miss you guys though," Rachel added, hoping that she could prove to them that she wanted to be their friend again.

"We miss you," Artie said. "We've missed you since your TV show, Rachel."

"I'm really sorry," Rachel repeated. "I shouldn't have cut off contact with you guys... I thought you wouldn't want to be my friends anymore..."

"That's not true," Sam said. "We're still your friends."

"I'm really sorry," Rachel repeated.

"Why didn't you come back for Mr. Schue's wedding? Or the glee club goodbye?" Marley asked. "Everyone was always talking about you, it would have been cool to meet you."

Rachel didn't know what to say. Now that she and Finn were in a good place, she didn't want to say the real reason. "I wasn't making good choices back then. But I'm here now. And it's nice to meet you, Marley."

"Oh hey, you know her name!" Kitty said. "Some people joked that you didn't know any of our names."

"I do," Rachel said. "And I know yours too, Kitty. I saw the videos of your guys' competitions. You're really talented."

"Well, Artie's told me it takes a lot for Rachel Berry to say that," Kitty said.

"You are!" Rachel said. "So, you two are still dating?"

"Yup!" Artie said proudly. "I'm going to get her to vote for Santos, I promise."

"I must say, I'm not impressed with some of the president's behavior," Kitty said.

"Baby steps," Sam said. "Marley's decided to vote for Santos instead of Russell, so that's a victory."

"Good for you!" Finn said to Marley.

"After I saw the debate, I realized it wasn't a good idea to vote for Russell," Marley said. "I thought Russell was better because he was Vice President, but Santos clearly knows so much more about the issues."

"He does," Blaine said. "And he's a dreamboat."

"Blaine, that's still not funny," Kurt said.

"Oh gosh," Finn said. "You're still doing that, Blaine?"

"He does it a lot, probably to annoy Kurt," Puck said.

"Hey, he'd have to be blind not to realize that," Tina said, coming in. When Tina came in, Rachel felt herself getting nervous. Tina was the one who had said those things at the Ohio rally. "But sorry Blaine, I don't think he's gay."

"Even if he was, I've heard the online world of tinhatters is rooting for him and our campaign manager," Rachel said. "Puck, since when are you in New York?"

"Oh, it's been a few months," Puck said. "I'd have better luck with my screenplay here."

"And he's dating Marley now," Tina blurted out.

"Since when?" Finn asked.

"A few weeks now," Puck said. "Things just weren't working with Quinn and me."

"And New York was too big for Ryder," Marley said. "We're still friends though."

"I'm happy for you guys," Finn said.

"We didn't see it coming," Santana said. "Anyway, what about you two?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, knowing perfectly well what Santana meant.

"We've seen videos of you guys at the Sanchez rallies," Brittany said. "You two look like you want to make out on the stage."

"It's Santos," Rachel said.

"So, are you two dating again?" Sam asked.

"We're still getting to know each other again," Finn said.

There was an answer. Rachel wanted to be with Finn again, but maybe he wasn't ready. "Yeah, exactly."

"Okay, okay," Puck said.

"It's been a lot of fun working with Finn though," Rachel said. "I really like this job. Sometimes the candidate lets us write posts for the blog, and we help coordinate appearances, too. We also help out at the rallies. You saw us handing out the signs."

"And we sing at the rallies," Finn added. "We had a special appearance of Kurt and Blaine at the OSU rally. I'm sure Blaine REALLY enjoyed getting to see the candidate in the flesh."

"Don't encourage him, Finn!" Kurt snapped.

"So, do you think you guys will win the primaries?" Tina asked.

Rachel didn't know what to say to that. "I don't know. I hope so. We've been moving up in the polls. We were in first place in a poll after the first debate, but then the president made that ad..."

"That ad was gross," Marley said. "If someone had made an ad like that about my eating disorder, they would have seen a completely different side of me."

"He handled it pretty well, I think," Rachel admitted. "And he's in good health now." She didn't point out that the ad had shaken the entire campaign staff.

"So, what's he like?" Sam asked. "I mean, I think he'll be a good president, but you know, what's he like?"

"He's really nice and he's fun to work with," Finn said. "Really easy to talk to also. I know he'll be a great president."

"I'm sorry about what happened at the Ohio rally, Rachel," Tina suddenly said.

"We let her know that what she did wasn't cool," Santana said.

"Like I said, I'm sorry that I cut off contact after the TV show," Rachel said. "I was just so embarrassed... I always thought I was going to be successful and instead I became a laughing stock."

"Don't worry," Kurt said. "By the end of this, you and Finn will have said you helped get a president elected."

x

Finn sat in the living room of Kurt and Blaine's apartment, watching football with Blaine, Sam and Artie. He'd had some fun visiting with his friends last night and right now, he was hanging out with the guys while the girls did some early Christmas shopping. Since the debate was being held the day before Thanksgiving and there wouldn't be time to get back to Ohio for Thanksgiving, the alumni in New York had invited Finn and Rachel to spend Thanksgiving with them, and Finn thought it would be fun. He hoped that getting to spend more time with their friends would help Rachel feel better about everything that happened. He could tell that she felt bad about cutting off contact, but at least Tina had apologized.

"It's nice to have some time off," Finn told the guys. "I love my job, but sometimes it feels like I'm always on the go."

"Yeah, I bet," Blaine said. "How many states have you been to by now?"

"32," Finn said. "It's crazy."

"So, now that the girls aren't around, what's going on with you and Rachel?" Puck asked as he got back from cleaning the complex's pool.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked, knowing what the guys were asking.

"You know what he means," Artie said.

"Until we got this job, we hadn't even talked in three years," Finn said. "A lot can change in three years... we needed to still get to know each other again. Everyone I talked to said not to rush into things."

"It's been a few months," Sam said. "And you still like her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Finn admitted. "Like I said, I talked to Kurt, I talked to my parents, I talked to the candidate... they all agreed not to rush into things."

"I guess it's a good idea not to rush into things, but you guys got those jobs in the summer, it's almost Thanksgiving," Blaine said.

Finn didn't know what to say. He thought he was ready - but was Rachel ready? He remembered his talk with the candidate, who'd been through something like this with the woman he was married to now, and being told that they'd both know when the time was right. The time felt right for Finn now - but was Rachel ready?

Kurt came into the apartment. "Well, Finn, you might be interested in what we were doing at Vogue today: we're doing a spread on campaign fashion."

"All the candidates just wear suits," Blaine said. "How can you make a spread on that?"

"Oh, we will," Kurt said. "So, what am I missing?"

"The girls went shopping, and we're talking to Finn about Rachel," Artie said.

"Oh! I want to go shopping with the girls," Kurt said. "But Finn, you want to get back with Rachel, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to break up again," Finn said. "We talked about what happened and about the past three years..."

"That's a good thing," Artie encouraged.

"We've both grown up a lot," Finn admitted. "I think especially in the past few months. And even though we're not together, I feel like we're closer than we've ever been."

"That's definitely a good thing," Sam said.

"Maybe the time to get back together is sooner than you think," Blaine said.

x

"Just to warn you girls, I don't want any freshman year of NYADA type clothes for the campaign," Rachel said as she and the girls walked through some stores.

"Well, I'm not letting you dress like that again," Santana said. "Speaking of that year, I heard Donkey Face and Meerkat and Jesse St. Sucks have become the opening act for the president's rallies..."

"Yes, that's true," Rachel said. "Our staff isn't impressed with their performance."

"The president probably felt threatened by you and Finn at the Santos rallies and wanted his own opening act," Kitty said.

"Presidential campaigns aren't about performances though," Rachel said. "Though the president acts like this is one big game. He's a total ass. Finn and I met him when we were in California... he's so smug it's ridiculous. And with Sue running his campaign..."

"The tabloids say he and Sue are dating," Tina said.

Somehow, that didn't surprise Rachel. "Well, I don't know if that's true, but if it is, they deserve each other."

"Speaking of dating, what about you and Finn?" Mercedes asked.

"We were talking about this yesterday," Rachel said.

"Yeah, but maybe now that Finn's not here, you can tell your girls what's going on," Santana said.

Kurt came over. "Sorry I'm late, ladies."

Rachel didn't know what to say. "I've definitely been falling in love with Finn again since we started working together..."

"Again?" Kitty asked. "Everyone knows you two have been in love since day one."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I never stopped loving him. I wanted to wait before we got back together, but it's been a few months and I think I'm ready. But I want to wait until he's ready, too. These few months have really brought us closer than ever."

"Awww!" Marley said.

"Well, in a few weeks, Finn and I will be at a wedding together, which should be awkward," Rachel admitted. "He and I were supposed to get married, and I've been avoiding weddings since we broke up. But our campaign manager and his fiance, who's also the campaign's press secretary, wanted me and Finn to sing... and I'm nervous. What if it brings back memories?"

"Everyone hooks up at weddings," Kurt said.

"Yeah, Kurt and Blaine made out in the back of a car at Mr. Schue's not wedding," Mercedes said.

"I heard," Rachel said. "I don't know, maybe Finn and I will get back together soon..." She hoped that they would... but she was still afraid of another breakup.

x

After his talk with the guys, Finn had been thinking more and more about what could be next with him and Rachel. He hadn't mentioned one thing to the guys - he was a little nervous about going to (and singing at) Josh and Donna's wedding with her in a few weeks. At Mr. Schue's wedding attempt, he never stopped thinking about what could have been for him and Rachel. When he saw everyone else dancing, he wished Rachel was there to dance with him and that they'd have a wedding.

But right now, he had to focus on the debate. He saw Rachel arriving. "Hey, did you and the girls have fun?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Did you have fun with the guys?"

"I did," Finn said. "Ready for debate #2?"

"Of course," Rachel said. "Last time we managed to get up to first in a poll after a debate... I think this time, we'll be able to get to and stay in first."

Finn loved Rachel's optimism. "I do too. I can't believe the first primary is less than a month away..." It was crazy. He'd had so much fun these past few months... but if things didn't go well in the primaries, it could all be over.

Finn and Rachel went back to the campaign staff room as the debate moderator began speaking and the candidates entered the stage. The candidate leading the polls got the center podium, and once again, Russell had the center podium. Finn had been hoping to see Matt Santos in the center podium. At least Matt was to Russell's left - for the candidate in second place in the polls.

Russell had answered the first question - what do you have to say to people who say the government doesn't have money for more programs - with a jumbled answer, and now it was time for the Santos answer. "Thank you so much for being here tonight. Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone. To the other candidates, it's nice to see you all agin, and to our moderator, Ms. Ellen DeGeneres, thank you for hosting. There are less than eight weeks until the Iowa caucus. I know that there are lots of people who haven't decided yet who they'll vote for. I've met so many people on this trail who told me that this is the first time they've really been engaged in an election. But I've also encountered opponents who seem to want to do nothing but attack my plans - and me personally. The presidency isn't about saying no - it's about saying yes. We need to get the troops out of the middle east. We need to pass bills to give everyone free health care and help fund education more. We need to create more jobs. People say the government doesn't have the money for those programs, but I disagree. As a member of congress, I know about the government budget. We don't need to keep getting involved in war after war, and we don't need to keep showering our politicians with perks. That money can be used for health care and education and all the other underfunded programs."

"Finally, someone's willing to say that," Rachel said. "All these wars are so unnecessary. That money can be better spent."

"I know," Finn agreed. While other politicians had expressed disapproval of the wars in the past, he was sure this was the first time that someone had expressed how the money would be better spent and he was so glad it was his candidate.

The second debate was going even better than the first. And it was clear that the other candidates knew who was dominating. At the end of the debate, Finn and Rachel listened to their candidate's statement: "A president needs to lead. And when we lead, we need to do more than just say no. We need to say yes. We have to do something. It's not just about having a plan, it's about being able to do the plan. When I joined congress, I took some of my drafted bills to the floor right away. All the newspaper articles about me are saying, 'Is America ready for its youngest president yet?' I'm not asking myself that question. I know the answer. I'm ready for this."

"Even better than the first one," Rachel said to Finn. "He began with a bang and he ended with a bang."

"Yeah," Finn said. He looked at Russell, who once again looked afraid.

x

"How about your candidate last night?" Santana asked Finn and Rachel at Thanksgiving dinner the next day.

"I can't wait to see the polls," Rachel said. "I must say, I loved him calling out the president for another pointless war and saying how that money could be better spent."

"I bet the president was pissed," Artie said.

"Well, the president's an idiot," Finn said. He noticed his phone ringing and saw that it was Josh. He wasn't sure if he should answer a call from his boss on his day off, but if he was getting a call right now rather than being told at tonight's planned campaign Thanksgiving dinner, it was probably big. Was Matt Santos in first in the polls again? He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Finn, is Rachel with you?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," Finn said, motioning for Rachel to come over. "Right here."

"I got a call from President Bartlet," Josh said. "He's endorsing Matt."

The campaign had gotten the biggest endorsement they could have gotten in the primaries. Finn looked at Rachel, who had a huge smile. "So we got the biggest endorsement we can hope for in the primaries?"

"Yeah, we did," Josh said.

"Wow," Finn said. "We're really in. Any poll updates?"

"No, but you saw the papers," Josh said. "Every paper agrees that Matt was the debate winner. And we've gotten so much money donated it's crazy since last night."

"Wow," Finn repeated.

"I just had to tell you guys," Josh said. "I'll see you at the campaign Thanksgiving dinner tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Finn said. He hung up the phone and hugged Rachel before turning to his friends. "Our candidate was declared the winner of the debate by all the papers, we've gotten an insane amount of campaign donations, and the best Democratic president in recent years is endorsing him!"

"We have so much to be thankful for today," Rachel said, giving Finn a big hug as the alumni got in a group hug.

 _Chapter 11 preview: Will the wedding and the holidays bring for Finchel?_


	11. Chapter 11: We've Got Tonight

_Hi everyone. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I really appreciated them. I think this chapter is my favorite so far, so I was excited to write it. And those of you who've been waiting for Finchel romance - I hope it doesn't disappoint. For any West Wing fans reading this, you'll notice some details about the characters are a little different - I changed some things so present time could fit in. Anyway, hope you like this chapter and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 11: We've Got Tonight

Rachel looked at her bag, where she had Finn's Christmas present. She and Finn were waiting for their flights back home for Christmas now. The campaign was taking a week off so everyone could go home for the holidays. Rachel knew that with her dads' divorce, the holidays wouldn't be the same as they usually were. She would spend part of the week in Cincinnati with LeRoy, then drive up to Cleveland after lunch on Christmas to spend the rest of the week with Hiram. Of course, there was tension between her and her dads after finding out that they'd lied about her biological father and that she was working for a candidate they weren't voting for.

"It's going to be weird," Finn said to Rachel. "We've spent basically every day for the past few months together and now I'm not going to see you for a week."

"I know, it is," Rachel said. Finn was going to be meeting up with Burt and Carole to spend Christmas in New York with Kurt, so the two of them wouldn't even be on a flight together.

"But I'll see you in a week for the wedding," Finn said.

"I haven't been to a wedding since... you know," Rachel told Finn. "It would just make me think of everything you and I missed..."

"I'm kind of nervous too," Finn said. "At Mr. Schue's wedding, I never stopped thinking about us..."

"I should have been there," Rachel admitted.

"Hey, it was a difficult time," Finn said. "I get why you weren't there."

"At least we'll get to do two Finchel duets at Josh and Donna's wedding," Rachel said, trying to lighten the mood. Josh and Donna had asked them to sing the processional song and then a song at the reception. The bride and groom to be had picked out the song for the processional, but Finn and Rachel had picked the one for the reception. Rachel was glad they wouldn't do the first dance song - that might be too hard. It would make her think about what could have been for her and Finn. And the wedding should be about the bride and groom.

"Yes!" Finn said with a half smile. "The song they wanted for the processional... if we'd been in glee together when it came out, I would have found a way to sing it with you for an assignment."

Rachel felt the same way. "I would, too."

Finn patted Rachel on the back. "Anyway, since this is the last time we'll see each other before Christmas... I should give you your present."

"You got me a present?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, the guys were no help in picking it out though," Finn laughed as he handed Rachel a giftwrapped box.

"I got you something, too," Rachel said to Finn as she pulled out the box in her bag. "Though nothing could be as great as the star you gave me senior year."

"You remember that?" Finn asked.

"Of course I do," Rachel said. "You know, when I missed you over the past three years, I would talk to the star, in hopes that wherever you were, you could get my messages."

Finn looked touched. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Rachel said.

"You don't have to talk to the star now," Finn told Rachel. "I'm here again."

Rachel wanted to kiss Finn, but she didn't know how he'd react. "Open your gift!"

Finn opened the gift and looked shocked. Ohio State had made it to the college football playoffs and Rachel had gotten Finn tickets to the first playoff game. "The campaign's going to be in California then anyway..."

"Wow," Finn said as he gave Rachel a big hug. "Thank you so much!"

"You deserve the best," Rachel said.

"Open yours now," Finn said.

Rachel opened the box and saw a bracelet with her birthstone. "Finn, this is beautiful."

Finn smiled. "It matches the necklace I got you for your birthday."

"I was so surprised you remembered my birthday," Rachel said. A few days ago had been her birthday, but she didn't think Finn would remember with all the campaign upheaval. But he'd given her a present and taken her out to lunch, and he told the candidate to have the crowd at yesterday's rally to sing happy birthday to her.

"Of course I remember," Finn said.

"Flight 122 to New York boarding," the announcement came over the loudspeaker.

Finn sighed. "That's my flight. I'll see you in a week."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "Merry Christmas."

Finn hugged back. "You too."

x

Finn's talk with Rachel at the airport before they went home for Christmas had been, in his opinion, his favorite memory with her so far during his time on the campaign. Exchanging gifts with her had felt like the old days. Finally, things felt so peaceful, relaxed and comfortable. He'd found himself resisting the urge to kiss her before he got on that plane and it had taken all he'd had to hold back.

When Finn was in New York, he found himself missing Rachel a lot. Ever since they'd joined the campaign, they'd spent so much time together and it felt odd to be apart from her. He remembered when he'd told the candidate about their relationship and history early on, and he remembered what Matt had told him: that when two people were meant to be together, the universe had its way of working things out for them, and when the time was right for them to get back together, they'd both know it.

Finn was pretty sure that the time to get back together was soon, very soon.

He was hoping to see Rachel before the wedding, but the flight from New York to DC was delayed, and by the time Finn got to the hotel the wedding was being held at, he'd gotten a text from Rachel saying she was already there. He couldn't help but wonder - what was Rachel wearing for the wedding? He remembered how pretty she looked in the wedding dress for their almost wedding. He showed his ID to the secret service agents and then went to knock on the door of the groom suite, letting Josh know he was here. Was Rachel here yet?

A man who looked slightly familiar opened the door. "Hi," Finn said. "I'm Finn Hudson, I'm one of the campaign aides and I'll be performing at the wedding..."

"Okay, I just had to make sure it wasn't Donna," the man said. "The bride can't see the groom before the wedding..."

Well, maybe that was part of why Finn and Rachel's wedding hadn't gone through.

Josh came to the door. "Hey Finn. Thanks for doing this..."

"Of course," Finn said.

"You remember my best friend, Senator Sam Seaborn, from our California rally, right?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, good to see you again," Finn said, shaking the senator's hand. "So, you're the best man?"

"He is," Josh said. "We've been best friends since we were kids, and he was working on the Bartlet campaign with me when I first met Donna..."

Finn's mind flashed back again to his own hopes for a wedding. He'd always known he wanted Kurt to be the best man. Kurt had also been with him from the time he first met Rachel... he couldn't keep thinking about his wedding attempt, so he spoke again. "Just think, you and Donna will be able to tell your kids that a man who became president was a groomsman in your wedding."

"Yes we will," Josh said, looking over at where Matt was sitting with the other groomsmen. "Not just the president, but the whole first family, since Helen's one of Donna's bridesmaids, Peter's the ring bearer and Miranda's the flower girl."

"Nice to meet you guys," Finn said, shaking the groomsmen's hands. "I'd better get down to the hall, I just wanted to let you know my plane finally got in. I'm sorry it was late..."

"Hey, don't worry," Josh said.

"Good luck today," Finn said. He said hi to Matt and introduced himself to the other groomsmen before he went down to the ballroom at the hotel where the wedding was being held.

Rachel was already there, and Finn stopped to think about how beautiful Rachel looked. She was wearing a pink dress with three quarter length lace sleeves and she had her hair down. Finn smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hey," Rachel said, giving Finn a hug. "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"I did," Finn said. "Christmas in New York is a lot of fun. We went skating at Central Park."

"That always is fun," Rachel said.

"What about you, how was your Christmas?" Finn asked.

"It was different, not having my family together," Rachel admitted. "Things were especially awkward with LeRoy..."

"I'm sorry," Finn said. "Were they at least better with Hiram?"

"They were, but I missed having all three of us together," Rachel said.

"I'm sorry," Finn said. He missed his family while he was out campaigning, but at least they got to spend Christmas all together.

"I missed you though," Rachel said.

"I missed you too," Finn said. "So, will you save a dance for me today?"

"Of course," Rachel said.

Finn and Rachel watched as the guests began to file in. Since Josh and Donna had worked on all sorts of big campaigns, all sorts of big names were here. Finn was sure he'd never seen so many famous people in one room. Before Finn could do too much more thinking, the music for the processional march began, and the door opened as Miranda started walking down the aisle tossing flower petals and Peter walked out with the rings. It was time for Finn and Rachel to sing the song for the processional. While they'd sang lots of songs together on the campaign trail, this was their first romantic duet in three and a half years. As Rachel began the song, Finn already found himself getting emotional.

 _Rachel: The day we met_

 _Frozen, I held my breath_

 _Right from the start_

 _I knew that I'd found a home for my heart beats fast_

 _Colors and promises_

 _How to be brave?_

 _How can I love when I'm afraid to fall_

 _But watching you stand alone?_

 _All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

 _Finn and Rachel: One step closer_

 _Rachel: I have died everyday waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you_

 _For a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 _Finn: Time stands still_

 _Beauty in all she is_

 _Finn and Rachel: I will be brave_

 _I will not let anything take_

 _Finn: ...away_

 _What's standing in front_

 _Finn and Rachel: ...of me_

 _Every breath_

 _Every hour has come to this_

 _One step closer_

 _I have died everyday waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you_

 _For a thousand years_

 _Rachel: I'll love you for_

 _Finn and Rachel: A thousand more_

 _And all along, I believed I would find you_

 _Time has brought your heart to me_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more..._

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Rachel: I'll love you for_

 _Finn and Rachel: A thousand more!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _One step closer_

 _Rachel: I have died everyday waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you_

 _For a thousand years_

 _I'll love you_

 _Finn and Rachel: For a thousand more_

 _And all along, I believed I would find you_

 _Time has brought your heart to me_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 _I will love you_

 _A thousand years_

 _Mmmm, mmmm_

Finn looked over at Rachel at the end of the song. She had tears in her eyes. He could feel himself tearing up as well. They couldn't do this right now. Today wasn't about them. It was about the bride and groom.

Finn listened as Former President Bartlet, who was officiating the wedding, welcomed the guests and said a few words, but his mind was still on him and Rachel. They could have had a wedding, but they'd blown it. He'd blown it.

When it came time for the vows, Finn remembered the vows he'd written for Rachel. The vows he'd never gotten to say. "I remember the day I walked into my office and you introduced yourself to me," Josh began. Finn could also remember the day he first met Rachel. Not even just the first day of glee rehearsal, but when they were in the same class in kindergarten. Dave Karofsky had pushed Rachel on the playground, and Finn had told Karofsky that he shouldn't do that. "You told me you thought I might find you valuable, but I had no idea just how valuable I'd find you. I felt some attraction almost right away, but attraction can fade... this was only getting stronger." Another thing that was true for Finn and Rachel. "I remember how you took care of me after I was shot at that rally in Rosslyn and I know you'll give me that type of care for the rest of my life. I know you'll take care of our kids like that too when we have kids." Rachel had always taken such great care of Finn, too. "You know me better than I know myself, you're there for me even when I don't want you to be and you make me so happy. And to this day, if you need me, I won't stop for red lights. I know it's been a long journey to get here, but I'm so happy it's here. I've been waiting for so long to finally call you my wife."

Finn again looked at Rachel. By the look on her face, he could tell she was reminded of them. Finn then listened to Donna's vows. "Josh, like you said, from the first time I met you, I knew there was something special about you, but I didn't know just how special you were. From being interns in the Bartlet White House, to working for the DNC, to the Montgomery campaign and White House, to the Seaborn campaign and Senate office, and now the Santos campaign, we've been through so many places and so much together, and I wouldn't change a thing. You are the smartest and strongest and most amazing man I know. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us and I know it'll be great because I'll have you with me."

Finn's future would be great if he had Rachel in it. Would they also have a wedding one day? The rings were exchanged and the couple was pronounced husband and wife, and Finn did his best to smile.

x

Rachel sat down with Finn as they began to eat the dinner of the wedding. They were put at a table with some of the campaign staff, so it was nice to have people they knew with them. As Rachel listened to the toast, she wondered: was this how her friends felt about her and Finn? Did they think they were meant to be from the day they met?

"I'm Sam Seaborn, Josh's best man," the best man was saying. "Josh and I have been friends since we were kids, and we met Donna when the three of us started working on the Bartlet campaign. Because of the positions we held, they couldn't date at the time, but I think we all knew they both wanted it. From the first time I saw them together, I knew that they were meant to be together. The way they looked at each other - everyone should have someone who looks at them that way. They've been through a lot together and they deserve nothing but happiness, and I'm so happy my best friend is finally getting to marry the woman he loves. On behalf of myself and the other groomsmen, our White House friends Charlie Young and Toby Ziegler, and the next President of the United States, Matt Santos, and Donna's bridesmaids, the next First Lady Helen Santos, former first daughter Zoey Bartlet-Young, our White House friend Annabeth Schott, and her maid of honor CJ Cregg-Concannon, please join me in a toast to Josh and Donna."

Did their friends think that she and Finn were meant to be? Did they think that after everything they'd been through, they deserved nothing but happiness? Rachel clinked her glass against Finn's. She had known today would be emotional, being the first wedding she'd been to since she and Finn broke off their engagement, but she didn't think it would be THIS emotional. She'd practically cried during her and Finn's song for the procession and again during the vows. She still wanted to marry Finn more than anything else in the world. It was really nice to be friends again, but she wanted more. They'd been through so much. There was no other man she wanted to see at the end of the aisle but Finn when she walked down the aisle on her wedding day.

"It was a lovely wedding, wasn't it?" Rachel asked Finn as she sat down next to Finn at the reception, hoping some friendly talk would keep her from getting emotional again.

"It was," Finn agreed. "I hope you're still planning to save a dance for me."

"Of course I am," Rachel said. He was the only man here tonight that she wanted to dance with. He was the only man in the world that she wanted to dance with.

At the end of the toasts, the reception's MC announced that Donna was going to toss the bouquet. Rachel gathered around with the other single women, watching as the bouquet flew into the air and gasping as she caught it.

Rachel looked over at Finn as she caught the bouquet. The other wedding guests were clapping, but Finn was all Rachel saw. The legend said that the woman to catch the bouquet would be the next woman at the wedding to get married - would it be Rachel?

"Wow," Rachel said as she went over to Finn.

"Yeah, wow," Finn said.

"I wonder if this means anything," Rachel said.

"What could it mean?" Finn asked.

Rachel decided to make a go for it. "Well, we almost got married once..."

Finn took a flower from the bouquet and plucked a petal. "She loves me."

"Finn, what are you doing?" Rachel asked.

Finn took another petal. "She loves me not."

"Have you been drinking?" Rachel asked. She knew they both had, but this was something she wouldn't expect Finn to do. She HOPED that he knew she loved him.

Finn kept taking petals. "She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not. You know, relationships are a lot like flowers. If you find the right seed, put it in good soil, give it water and sunlight bam, perfect bud, and then comes winter and the flower dies. But if you tend that garden, spring will come along and that flower will bloom again."

Finn's analogy made Rachel think he was referring to them. "Yeah, you're right. It's kind of been like that for us."

Finn pulled off another petal. "She loves me. Kind of? I think we've both found the right seed."

"We have," Rachel said. Was this what she thought it was?

Finn pulled another petal, leaving only one. "She loves me not." He looked at her. "You and I both know how this thing ends. I don't know how or when..." He dangled the flower in front of Rachel. Only one petal was left, and Rachel knew what it meant.

The MC announced Finn and Rachel. Rachel decided to finish it up for Finn with the flower. "We got to go sing our duet, so..." She pulled the petal as she headed to the podium, letting Finn know she loved him. She always had, and she always would.

Between catching the bouquet and Rachel's talk with Finn, her spirits were lifted. She wouldn't lie, she was a bit worried that Finn would make a comment about how whoever she married would be a lucky man. But she didn't just want any man. She wanted Finn. And it seemed like he wanted her too.

This time around, Finn and Rachel could really look at each other when they sang this duet. And it was like a flash back to the past - as they looked at each other, Rachel remembered all the amazing times they had together, and felt a renewed sense of hope that there would be more wonderful times.

 _Finn: I know it's late_

 _I know you're weary_

 _I know your plans don't include me_

 _Rachel: Still here we are_

 _Both of us lonely_

 _Longing for shelter from all that we see_

 _Finn: Why should we worry?_

 _No one will care, girl_

 _Rachel: Look at the stars now, so far away_

 _We've got tonight_

 _Who needs tomorrow?_

 _We've got tonight, babe_

 _Why don't you stay?_

 _Deep in my soul_

 _I've been so lonely_

 _All of my hopes so fading away_

 _And I've longed for love_

 _Like everyone else does_

 _I know I'll keep searching after today_

 _Finn: So there it is, girl_

 _We've got it all now_

 _Rachel: And here we are, babe_

 _What do you say?_

 _Finn and Rachel: We've got tonight_

 _Who needs tomorrow?_

 _We've got tonight, babe_

 _Why don't we stay?_

 _Finn: I know it's late and I know you're weary_

 _I know your plans don't include me_

 _Rachel: Still here we are_

 _Finn and Rachel: Both of us lonely_

 _Both of us lonely_

 _Rachel: We've got tonight_

 _Who needs tomorrow?_

 _Finn: Let's make it last_

 _Rachel: Let's find a way_

 _Finn: Turn out the light_

 _Rachel: Oh, come take my hand now_

 _Finn and Rachel: We've got tonight, babe_

 _Why don't we stay?_

 _We've got tonight, babe_

 _Why don't we stay?_

At the end of the song, Finn held out his hand. "How about we take advantage of tonight together, just the two of us?"

"Let's go to my room," Rachel whispered. She'd checked into the hotel last night, so she led Finn to her room. As soon as she got there, she knew what she wanted to do. "Finn..." Rachel said softly.

"What is it?" Finn asked.

Rachel began pulling off her clothes and pulled the covers off the bed.

"What are you doing?" Finn whispered.

"Come on," Rachel said. "I've missed this. I've missed you."

Finn began pulling off his clothes as well and joined Rachel on the bed. "I missed you," Rachel whispered as she moved into Finn.

"I missed you too," Finn said.

x

Time passed, and for Finn, it felt like they had never stopped doing this. There had been a few girls he'd hooked up with in college, but it didn't feel as good with any of them as it had with Rachel. And it felt just as good with Rachel now as it did three years ago - even better.

"I missed you," Rachel breathed as she and Finn moved out of each other.

"I missed you too," Finn said. Sex had felt good.

"So - what does this mean?" Rachel asked.

Finn paused. Sure, it had felt good, but having sex when they weren't together may have been taking things a little fast.

"I don't know," Finn said. "I mean... that felt good..."

"Today had me thinking about us a lot," Rachel said. "About the past, the present and what might be in the future. We almost got married once... it could happen again."

"Yeah," Finn said. "But I was thinking we should move slowly..."

"Me too," Rachel said. "I mean, I think part of why it fell apart when we tried to get back together in New York was we were moving so fast. But we've spent the past few months together, and I honestly feel closer to you than ever."

She felt that way? "That's how I feel, too," Finn said.

"Let's take some time to think about what this means," Rachel said. "I love you, Finn."

"I love you too," Finn said. "I'm kind of hungry, so I'm going to head back downstairs. Maybe we can have another dance?" He gave Rachel a half smile before putting his clothes back on and leaving the room.

 _Chapter 12 preview: The Iowa primaries are here - how will the first primary go for the Santos campaign? Finchel make a big decision._


	12. Chapter 12: Iowa

_Hey, guys. Thanks so much for all your support on the last chapter. I REALLY appreciated it. I know I said the last one was my favorite, but I think this one is my new favorite! For those of you who've been waiting for Finchel to get back together - it's here, and I hope it lives up to your expectations! And to give credit where credit's due, the second paragraph of the victory speech is from the actual show. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 12: Iowa

Ever since the wedding, Rachel couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with her and Finn there. Sex had felt even better than it had back in high school. Singing together had been amazing. She and Finn were getting closer than they'd ever been. Even if they weren't officially back together, he was definitely her closest friend again. She wanted to get back together though. And she had a feeling he did, too.

Of course, something else big was coming up - the Iowa Caucus was tomorrow. The campaign had spent months getting ready for the primaries and now the first one was finally here. It was hard to believe. The Russell/Santos gap was closing in the polls, but the former vice president still had a lead. The campaign was in Iowa for a few days to get ready. Rachel had spent all day knocking on doors, encouraging people to vote Santos. Iowa was an important state - it was often a swing state, it had gone to the Democrats in 2008 and Vinick in 2012, and of course, it was the first one to actually vote in the primaries. This primary was going to set the tone. Maybe beating Russell couldn't happen, but if they could come in second, that would be a good starting point. They'd get attention, and maybe they could work their way up for the later primaries...

When Rachel and Finn had gone door to door, they'd talked casually. Finn thanked Rachel what felt like a million times for the tickets to the football game. Rachel admitted she'd probably be cold and bored, so Finn had taken their candidate's son to the game. They also talked about the upcoming primary and their holidays. It felt comfortable and nice, but Rachel kept chickening out on asking Finn if by now, he wanted to get back together.

Maybe Rachel needed to talk to someone else about her feelings. She was still in the process of rebuilding her relationships with her friends. Her relationships with her dads and Shelby were on shaky ground with the Russell business and with her discovering the truth about her paternity (or rather, that she didn't know the truth about her paternity).

Rachel then noticed she hadn't dropped the latest draft of a blog post off for candidate approval. She walked down the hall and knocked on the door of the room Matt was staying in. Helen opened the door. "Hi Rachel."

"Hi," Rachel said. "I just wanted to give your husband a draft of my new post for the blog..."

"He's inside," Helen said, leading Rachel in. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"As ready as I can be," Rachel said. "Kind of nervous."

"I think we all are," Helen said.

"Yeah, I think my mom's nervous," Peter called from the couch where he and Miranda were watching TV. "She keeps throwing up in the morning. It's gross."

"Peter, let's not talk about your mother's digestive system," Matt said, coming out of the bedroom.

"Is Mommy okay?" Miranda asked.

"Of course she is," Matt said.

"I think we're all nervous about tomorrow," Rachel said. "Anyway, Matt, I was coming by to see if my latest post for the blog meets your approval."

"Let's go into the bedroom and look at it," Matt said.

"Okay," Rachel said. She followed Matt into the room. "You know, Finn and I spent all day knocking on doors... we got some positive responses... lots of people have seen your speeches and your ads and were impressed with the debates..."

"Really?" Matt asked.

"Yeah. Despite the cold, it was fun. I'm really hoping we get a good turnout tomorrow. There were a few people who said they were voting for Russell..." Rachel groaned.

"You know, this campaign started from nothing," Matt said. "When I first entered the race, I was in the single digits. I couldn't afford to hire very many staff members. When you compare where I was at this time last year, even where I was when you and Finn first joined the campaign, it's something to be proud of."

"I know, I just... I really want to win," Rachel admitted.

"We'll just need to see what happens," Matt said.

"Yeah. Are you nervous?" Rachel asked.

"Don't worry about me," Matt said.

"You were the one who said that it's okay to be imperfect," Rachel reminded him.

"Yeah, I am," Matt admitted. "But I have a good feeling about this."

"So, did Peter have fun with Finn at the football game?" Rachel asked.

"He did. I heard you're the one who bought the tickets?" Matt asked.

Rachel nodded. "I was. Finn's a great guy and I know he wanted to go, so I thought he'd like that." She'd wanted to talk to someone about Finn. Matt had always been nice to both her and Finn, and Finn had said that Matt and Helen also dated in high school and broke up in college, but now they were married, so maybe he'd be understanding. "Can we talk for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Matt said.

Rachel gulped. "You know that Finn and I dated in high school and then broke up after we graduated. I never stopped loving him, even during our breakup. He cut off contact at one point and we didn't talk from the winter after we graduated until we got these jobs. Working with him has reminded me of how much I loved him and how much I still love him. I feel like we're closer to each other than we've ever been and that we know and trust each other more than ever."

"I'm glad that you're comfortable with him again," Matt said. "Are you okay?"

Rachel hesitated whether to tell her boss this, but she needed to tell someone. "At Josh and Donna's wedding, we ended up in a hotel room alone together..."

Matt seemed to know what that meant. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It pretty much confirmed for me that I want to be with him again," Rachel said. "He's the one, I know it. He and I talked about what happened before the breakup. I kind of thought we needed time to get to know each other again before we got back together but I love him and I think I'm ready and I think he's ready. You see us all the time..."

"I could tell something was there between you two the first day I met you," Matt admitted. "If it was right after you two joined the campaign, I'd say that you should wait before you get back together, but it's been a few months. It was a few months for me and Helen before we got back together, too. If you think that you're ready and he thinks he's ready, you shouldn't be afraid. I've seen you both grow a lot over the past few months."

"I think we have too," Rachel said. "And I think that now that we've both matured, we can get back together and this time, stay together."

"I think so, too," Matt said. "I've always believed that when two people are meant to be together, the universe will find its way to get them together. It happened for me and Helen, and it's happening for you and Finn."

Rachel smiled. "Thanks for talking with me... after my TV show failed, I cut off contact with my friends and I'm still rebuilding my relationships with them, and my relationships with my parents aren't the best right now..."

"You can talk to me any time you need someone," Matt said.

"Thanks," Rachel said. "You're going to be a great president."

x

Today was it, the day of the caucuses.

Finn and Rachel were once again going door to door to remind people of what today was. It was very cold outside, unseasonably cold for Iowa. There had to be at least eight inches of snow on the ground.

Finn hoped the cold wasn't foreshadowing the cold of the next four years. He had a feeling the only person who could defeat Vinick was Matt Santos. Sure, Russell had been Vice President, but Finn didn't think he had what it took. As much as he disliked Vinick, he knew that sitting presidents always had an advantage and that it was hard to beat them. After all, Ritchie had been re-elected, and he was almost as bad as Vinick. Russell would be better than Vinick, but he wasn't, as their campaign manager was fond of saying, "the real thing." He could be clueless at times and he often pandered to whatever was the most people seemed to think was right at the time... he also didn't have that way of connecting with people...

"I can't believe this is it," Rachel said, interrupting Finn's thoughts.

"Me either," Finn said.

"I feel like this makes me sound stupid, but I just really want to win," Rachel said. "We've been working so hard for so long, and I don't want it to all be for nothing. But there are seven candidates... only one of them is going to get the nomination, and then whoever it is will need to face off Vinick in November..."

"Let's look at what we have so far," Finn said, pulling out their sheets. "Of the people who've answered their door, so far we have ten Russell voters and nine Santos voters. I guess one difference isn't too much."

"It's going to be close," Rachel said. "I don't get why people don't see that our candidate is the best choice."

"It's probably because Russell was vice president," Finn said. "I'm cold, want to take a coffee break?"

"Yeah, let's go," Rachel said. She went into the nearby coffee shop with Finn. When they got there, the barista handed them each a coffee bean. "What are these for?" Rachel asked.

"The coffee bean caucus," the barista explained. "Put your bean in the jar of the candidate you want to win the caucus."

There were even coffee bean votes? This was really happening. Finn and Rachel walked over to the Santos jar and dropped their beans in. Looking at the Santos jar and the Russell jar next to each other, it was hard to tell which one had more beans.

"This won't determine who wins tonight," Rachel said, clearly hoping to ease herself and Finn.

"Let's sit down," Finn said. "Remember our coffee dates at the Lima Bean?"

"Of course," Rachel said.

This felt like a coffee date all over again. Finn reached across the table and began rubbing Rachel's hand. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"Me either," Rachel added. "I'm so glad we did this, no matter what happens tonight."

"So am I," Finn said. "I can't remember the last time I've been this happy... probably our senior year."

"Me too," Rachel said. "Honestly, I think I might even be happier now than I've ever been. There's still pressure, but we're surrounded by a great group of people and we're working for a cause bigger than ourselves. And we're finally reunited."

Finally reunited. What had Rachel meant when she said that? "Yeah, finally reunited," Finn said. "So, about what happened at the wedding..."

"Did you enjoy it?" Rachel asked. "Because I did."

"I did too," Finn said, glad that Rachel had.

"I know there's the stereotype that everyone hooks up at weddings and there's the campaign hookup stereotype, too," Rachel said. "But that wasn't a wedding hookup or a campaign hookup for me."

"That was the real thing," Finn agreed. He and Rachel smiled at each other across the table.

"I think we can do it this time," Rachel said. "We've learned from our mistakes and we've grown up a lot."

"You do?" Finn asked. That was how he felt, too.

"Hey!" a voice said, interrupting Finn and Rachel's conversation. "You're from the Santos campaign, aren't you?"

Finn looked up to see a group of college kids. "Yeah, we are."

"You guys are awesome," another one of the kids said. "You're really good singers."

"Thanks," Finn said. "Are you guys ready for the caucus?"

"Of course!" one of the kids said. "He's the perfect guy for my first election to vote in."

"Your first vote is always exciting," Rachel said. "Sadly, ours were wasted back in 2012."

"Ours won't be!" the first kid said.

"I sure hope not," Rachel said.

x

The wait for results was long and stressful. No one was saying much of anything in the suite booked for the candidate and campaign staff. In fact, Finn wasn't paying much attention to the returns because he was so nervous. Rachel was also being quiet. He remembered how nervous he was waiting for Burt's congress campaigns, but the competition was never as intense as it was here.

After a few hours of waiting, it caught Finn's attention when someone on the TV said that after the commercial break, they thought they would be ready to make a call.

This was it. At least they could hope to come in second...

"And we can now make a call for the Iowa Caucus," the TV anchor said when the commercials ended. "With over 90% in, we are prepared to call the Democratic Iowa caucus for Texas Congressman Matt Santos. He has pulled a stunning upset. Former Vice President Russell was leading the polls very consistently, but he finishes an unexpected second..."

Finn looked at the TV in disbelief as the staff began cheering and broke out the champagne. Santos 35%, Russell 31%. That was too big of a difference to be a counting error.

They'd won.

Finn high fived the candidate before looking over at Rachel. "We won."

Rachel smiled. "Yeah."

"We actually won," Finn said. "Who would have thought back when we started and he was trailing Russell by double digits?"

"Well, he has a great staff behind him," Rachel said. "I'm just so happy right now."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Me too."

Rachel didn't say anything next. She leaned in and kissed Finn. Finn was surprised, but he deepened the kiss. It felt amazing. Though the room was pretty noisy right now with cheers, all the noise was fading out. The world had stopped, and it was just Finn and Rachel.

x

Right after Rachel kissed Finn, she wondered if that had been a mistake. She knew she was ready to get back together, but was he?

But Finn had deepened the kiss and Rachel knew that this meant he, too, wanted to get back together. This kiss felt like they had never stopped three years ago and Rachel was sure that it was the best kiss they'd ever shared.

Rachel and Finn pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes, smiling wide before they gave each other a big hug. "Want to go get some champagne?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Rachel said.

Finn held out his hand. Rachel smiled and took it as she and Finn walked to the bar. Finn poured a glass of champagne and handed it to Rachel before he poured another one for himself. "Cheers," he said, holding his up.

Rachel clinked her glass against Finn's. "Cheers. To many more victories." She smiled at Finn. "You're still so chivalrous."

"Well, now I know that's a good thing," Finn laughed.

Finn and Rachel stood back as he watched the continued coverage on TV. One of the other staff members then walked toward Matt with a phone. "Vice President Russell is on the phone for you."

This must have been it. Josh had told Finn that you knew you'd won when your opponent called to congratulate you.

After the phone call, Finn and Rachel performed Don't Stop Believing before they introduced "the winner of the Iowa caucus and the next President of the United States." As they stood off to the side to listen to the victory speech, Finn put his arm around Rachel, and Rachel snuggled up to him.

"Nearly a year ago, I began my campaign for president," Matt said. "And if anyone told me a year ago that I would win the Iowa caucus, I wouldn't have believed them. I began this campaign as a little known congressman with no money, no endorsements and only a campaign manager. For the first few months of my campaign, my poll numbers were in the single digits. I was told so many times that I shouldn't be doing this, that I should instead support one of the other candidates who was making this race. But then I remember where I began this campaign - in front of a schoolhouse in Houston, where it all began.

"Every day, children walk into this schoolhouse to glimpse their futures, to ask for hope. They may not know they need it yet, but they do. And I am here to tell you that hope is real. In a life of trials, in a world of challenges hope is real. In a country where families go without health care where some go without food some don't even have a home to speak of, hope is real. In a time of global chaos and instability where our faiths collide as often as our weapons, hope is real. Hope is what gives us the courage to take on our greatest challenges to move forward together. We live in cynical times, I know that, but hope is not up for debate. There is such a thing as false science. There's such a thing as false promises. I am sure that I'll have my share of false starts in this campaign but there is no such thing as false hope. There is only hope.

"It is hope that got us to this point, from the single digits to the winner of the Iowa caucus. I believe in this campaign and in this country. And I know that with your help and your hard work and the hopes of people all across the country, we're going to to get the White House back.

"I want to thank everyone who made tonight possible. To my campaign staff, who've worked harder than I can say to make tonight happen. To my family and friends, who've supported me when I was having trouble supporting myself. To all the every single supporter, thank you for your encouragement. And to everyone who voted today - thank you. Good night, God bless you, and God Bless America."

Finn and Rachel joined in the applause at the end of the speech as they turned to each other. "We actually did it," Finn said.

"Yeah, we did," Rachel said. "Next stop, New Hampshire." She leaned in for another kiss, both of them remembering how much they missed being able to do that.

"I'm so glad we're officially back together," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Me too." She giggled. "Best night ever. We win and we get back together."

"Yeah, I agree," Finn said as he gave Rachel another kiss. Rachel wasn't complaining though. She'd missed doing that.

 _Chapter 13 preview: It's off to New Hampshire for the next primaries - but will the New Hampshire primaries go as well as the Iowa ones? The Santos campaign also has a run-in with a rival campaign._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 13!_


	13. Chapter 13: New Hampshire

_Hi, everyone. First off - Merry early Christmas! I hope everyone has a great one! Thank you for all the positive response on Chapter 12. I really appreciated it, and I hope it made the wait for Finchel to get back together worth it! I know this chapter isn't as happy, but every campaign goes through obstacles. Once again, thanks so much for all your support. I appreciate it so much. Hope you all have a great Christmas, enjoy this chapter, and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 13: New Hampshire

After winning the Iowa Caucus, the Santos campaign was over the moon. Everyone was so happy. Finn and Rachel had both noticed more energy and enthusiasm than usual in the candidate's speeches, but he was hardly the only one who was in better spirits than usual. The late nights and early mornings didn't seem to bother everyone as much, and even the annoying tasks, like knocking on doors when people didn't even answer 90% of the time, seemed less tedious.

However, the Iowa Caucus wasn't the be all and end all, and there was still a ways to go. The New Hampshire primary was less than two weeks after the Iowa Caucus and was probably just as important. The voting method was different this time being a primary rather than a caucus. Even with all the momentum and media attention after winning the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire polls were tight. With all the positive attention, there were people and media outlets suggesting the Santos victory in Iowa was a fluke. And Finn and Rachel were both determined to prove that wasn't the case.

Of course, the campaign wasn't the only thing on their minds. It had only been a few days of being back together, but it just felt so right. Finn remembered early on in the campaign that Matt had told him that when the time was right for him and Rachel to get back together, they'd both know it.

This was definitely the right time. Finn and Rachel had told their family members and friends, all of whom were so happy for them. Right now, Finn and Rachel were walking door to door, encouraging people to get out and vote. Being so far north, New Hampshire was much colder than Iowa had been, but between the Iowa victory and being back with Rachel, it didn't bother Finn as much.

"So, how did your dads react to the Iowa victory?" Finn asked Rachel as they moved from one house to another.

"Well, Hiram said he was proud of me and my hard work, but disappointed Russell didn't win," Rachel said. "LeRoy hasn't returned any of my calls since then."

Finn couldn't believe the way LeRoy was treating Rachel. "What's with him and Russell? If Russell had never been Vice President, Matt would have had the lead from the beginning."

"I don't even know," Rachel said. "I mean, we were pretty young when Russell was Vice President, so I can't remember what we thought of Russell back then."

"And Russell only became Vice President because Bartlet's previous Vice President had to resign," Finn pointed out.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I can hope he'll come around." She paused. "I think he's also mad I'm doing this instead of trying for another chance on Broadway."

"Broadway will be there when the campaign's over," Finn said.

"Yeah, exactly," Rachel said. "In the mean time, this is where I want to be. This is what I want to be doing. With you."

Finn took Rachel's hand. "And I'm so glad you're here."

x

The doors Finn and Rachel had knocked on had been pretty split. There had been Santos supporters, but there had also been Russell supporters, Vinick supporters and people supporting other Democratic candidates. Again, there was no way of knowing who they'd actually end up voting for.

It had been nice to spend the day with Finn, but Rachel was cold and tired, so she was glad when she got back to her hotel room. Finn had gone to his room to call Burt and Carole, but he said he'd come to be with her when he was done. When Rachel looked at her phone, she noticed that she had a missed call from LeRoy.

She gulped. She was sure LeRoy wasn't happy about what had happened in Iowa. Still, the fact that he was willing to call her showed he wasn't too angry. She picked up her phone and dialed his number. He picked up the phone pretty quickly. "Hello."

"Hi," Rachel said. "I haven't talked to you in a while." She tried to think of the right things to say. Her life had been revolving around Finn and the campaign lately, two things she was sure LeRoy didn't want to talk about. She always had a feeling that LeRoy didn't like Finn because he wasn't Broadway bound.

"So, your guy stole Iowa," LeRoy said.

Stole? What was Rachel supposed to say to that? "The caucus was televised," Rachel said. "You saw the details on TV. It was Santos 35, Russell 31."

"I bet you and Finn are happy about that," LeRoy snapped.

"We are," Rachel said. "And Dad was happy for me."

"Sahntos didn't deserve to win the Iowa caucus," LeRoy said.

Rachel was sure he was mispronouncing the name to annoy Rachel. "Since you're such a Russell fan, you probably know that it's Santos with an a, not Sahntos with an ah. And did you just call me to give me a hard time?"

"I know you, Rachel," LeRoy said. "You're good at everything you do. I wish you were back on Broadway, but if you want to be working on the campaign, you should go work for Russell..."

"I don't want to work for Russell!" Rachel groaned. "We've talked about this already..."

"I don't know why you applied to work for Santos when you knew both your dads are voting for Russell," LeRoy said.

"Because I knew I was going to vote for Santos," Rachel said. "I knew ever since I saw his announcement that he was running for president. And he's living proof that anything's possible. He went from the single digits to winning the Iowa caucus, all while staying true to himself and his beliefs."

"Whatever," LeRoy said. "Russell's going to win New Hampshire and all the other states and then win the presidency."

Rachel didn't think Russell had what it took to beat Vinick. As much as she disliked Vinick (even more so now that she'd met him), she knew he would be hard to beat because the conservative base loved him. "I'm not arguing with you. And I'm tired of arguing with you. I have plans with Finn tonight anyway." She hung up the phone and walked down the hall, knocking on Finn's door.

Finn opened the door. "Hey!" He gave Rachel a hug.

"So, my dad called," Rachel said.

"What does he have to say?" Finn asked.

"He's still mad I'm not working for Russell," Rachel said. "But I'm not jumping ship. I'm here until the end."

"Even after the campaign," Finn said. "I hope when he wins, we both get jobs in the White House." He paused. "Did he say anything about me?"

Rachel was relieved he hadn't. "No."

"I always got a bad feeling he didn't like me," Finn said.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if he liked me as much as what he imagined his daughter being like," Rachel admitted. "I realized that this is the first time I've really been involved in something other than school and work that when it all comes down to it, isn't all about performing. Sure, we perform at rallies, but that's just one small aspect of it. It's about the issues and the people and the candidate. I'm enjoying it so much. They had me in singing and dancing and acting lessons from the time I was a toddler, they were telling me I was the most talented person ever and that I'd be a huge star for as long as I can remember, and it got to a point where I couldn't imagine doing anything else. If it had been up to them, I probably wouldn't have even gone to regular school. Every conversation we had somehow came back to performing and Broadway. There are so many other things I could have done. I loved being in glee club, but it was mostly being with all of you guys that I liked. He's upset that I'm doing this instead of trying to go back to Broadway, but I blew it, I know I did. This is what I want to be doing. With you, with the rest of my staff. Part of why I was so nervous about Funny Girl was I knew my dads would be so upset with me if I didn't get the part... no way could I measure up to Barbra Streisand." Rachel couldn't believe she'd let all that out. She'd been holding it in for so long, but now she could finally say it. She'd always had the fear that her dads loved the idea of having a big Broadway star for a daughter more than who she was.

"Hey," Finn said, giving Rachel a hug. "It's okay. You have lots of people who love you for who you are."

"I love you too," Rachel said. "I never stopped loving you."

"I'm so sorry I told you no contact," Finn said. "I wanted to be there for you when you found out the truth about Brody, when you got the part, for your opening night, after the TV show..."

"I wanted to be there to see your glee club compete and hear about your time at college," Rachel sighed. "I wanted to be there for you when Burt was sick and the glee club disbanded. I was always asking Kurt about you."

"Hey, don't worry," Finn said. "We're together now and after our talks I don't think that stuff will happen again."

"Me either," Rachel said, giving Finn a hug. "Want to go down to the hotel restaurant and get some dinner?"

"Yeah, let's go," Finn said, taking Rachel's hand and walking downstairs to the hotel's restaurant. They hadn't had time for lunch today, thanks to the long day of canvassing. Tomorrow, they had to help go over some new ads, write new posts for the blog and make sure the field offices were finding enough volunteers. They might not have time to eat until late tomorrow, either.

When Finn and Rachel got down the the hotel's restaurant, a familiar voice interrupted their thoughts. "Oh, it's the young Barbra Streisand and the Frankenteen."

Rachel turned and saw Sebastian. "Sebastian? What are you doing here?"

"Don't you know? The boyband I formed got hired to be the opening act for Vinick campaign events," Sebastian said.

"Oh, yeah, I remember," Rachel said, watching as Jesse, Karofsky and Brody came over. "Wait? Karofsky, what are you doing here? You don't even sing."

"Oh, I'm their manager," Karofsky said.

"He and I are dating," Sebastian added.

"I can't believe it," Jesse said. "Rachel Berry not only left Broadway for an embarrassing TV show, but now she's working to get a nobody elected president."

"Well, I don't see you on Broadway either, Jesse," Finn said. Rachel smiled at Finn coming to her defense.

"The fact that Santos hired you shows what an idiot he is, Finn," Jesse said. "Santos reminds me of that Barack Obama character from that TV show about the White House, thinking he's so above everyone else because he doesn't like going negative..."

"And you'll be happy to know, Rachel, that now I make enough money that I don't need to do my side job anymore in college," Brody interrupted.

Coach Sylvester came over. "Looks like the Santos campaign crashed our hotel."

Rachel mentally blamed herself for booking this hotel. "I'm sorry if that bothers you, Coach Sylvester."

"Your presence bothers me," Coach Sylvester said. "I thought I'd gotten rid of you two."

"Don't worry, when we win the election, you'll have gotten rid of us," Rachel said.

"You actually think you can win?" Karofsky asked.

"We know we can," Finn said. "Maybe we should go upstairs, Rachel."

"We should," Rachel said. She didn't want to deal with Sue and their old rivals right now. And if the Vinick campaign was here, Vinick probably was, too...

And here he was, coming down. "Hey, you're the Santos aides who Sue knows!" Vinick said. "I'm really hungry, are you two hungry?"

"That wasn't funny at the rally, and it's not funny now," Finn said.

"You two have gotten a cocky attitude from the Iowa victory, huh?" Vinick asked. "Well, enjoy that victory while you can, because you're not going to get another one. I don't know how Matt won Iowa, but I do know he's not going to win any more primaries. He has nowhere near enough experience to be president and he can't take care of himself or of this country..."

"Mr. President, with all due respect, you were never fit to be president," Rachel said. "The country is in the worst shape it's ever been in. I thought Ritchie was the worst president ever, but I was wrong. The unemployment rate is at its worst in years, health care isn't affordable, the educational system is a mess, you threaten to start a war with any country that does something you disagree with, you make homophobic comments constantly..." Rachel paused. She couldn't talk this way to the president. As much as she disliked him, he was the president.

"Say what you want about Ritchie, but as much as I disagreed with his policies, at least he had some class," Finn added. "You don't even have that."

"What's going on?" a voice said. Finn and Rachel turned to see their candidate coming in with some local New Hampshire politicians. What would he think if he overheard what they'd said to Vinick?

"Hi Matt," Vinick said. "Those pants look a little tight..."

Finn and Rachel exchanged a look of disgust. Finn had been right - even Ritchie would have never made a comment like that. Luckily, Matt didn't seem bothered. "Well, they feel fine to me. What brings you to New Hampshire? There aren't any Republicans opposing you in the primary..."

"I just want the voters of New Hampshire to remember that there's more than Democrats running in this election," Vinick said. "I just barely missed New Hampshire four years ago..."

"Well, remember that Bartlet's from New Hampshire and he's been campaigning hard for Santos," Finn said.

"You have some mouthy aides," Vinick said. "They questioned my skills as president and my personality..."

"Well, you have no problem with attacking me, sometimes very personally, in your ads or any of your interviews," Matt said. "This is a presidential election. We're not in high school."

"Well, your aides are acting like they're in high school," Vinick snapped back.

Matt looked at Finn and Rachel. "I'll talk to them. In the meantime, I came down here for some dinner, so I'm going to get some. Finn, Rachel, join us?"

Oh no. Were they in trouble?

x

After dinner, Finn and Rachel started to go up to their rooms, but Matt stopped them. "Can you guys talk in my room for a minute?"

"Yeah, of course," Finn said. He gave Rachel a worried look. He had to admit, he and Rachel had both been a little disrespectful to the president. They knew Matt didn't like the president either, but he also had an image to maintain.

Finn and Rachel followed Matt into the candidate suite, where some of the senior campaign staff already were. When Matt led them into the bedroom rather than the living area, Finn began feeling more nervous. Especially since Josh was already there and Matt didn't ask him to leave. "Can you tell us about what happened downstairs?" Matt asked.

Rachel gulped. "I told Vinick he was never fit to be president and listed off all the things that I think are wrong with the country."

"And I told him he had no class," Finn said.

"You don't know how badly I'd like to do that," Josh said. "But we can't do that, guys..."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. "If you want to fire me..."

Finn found himself getting nervous. He didn't want to get fired.

"I'm not going to fire you guys," Matt said. "Campaigns are stressful. And we all say things we shouldn't say. I'm not saying that I disagree with what you said, but he is the president, and as much as we don't like that, we need to respect him."

"I'm sorry," Finn repeated.

"I know this is your first campaign," Matt said. "Everyone makes mistakes on their first campaign."

"We won Iowa and the opposition is acting like it was nothing," Rachel said. Finn could tell that Vinick, Sue, Sebastian, Brody, Karofsky, Jesse and LeRoy had made her feel like their Iowa win wasn't as special.

"Don't let anyone let you think that," Josh said. "I was here when this campaign began, when we had no money and were in single digits and I was the only paid employee. No one should take that night away from you, or any of us."

"It was a really special night," Finn said.

"Yeah, it was," Rachel said.

"Now, as your boss, I'm going to tell you two to go get some rest," Matt told Finn and Rachel. "You both look exhausted. But before you go, I want you to know that you're important parts of this campaign. Don't let the president make you think otherwise."

"Thanks," Finn said as he and Rachel left the suite.

"That was close," Rachel said as soon as they left.

"Yeah," Finn said. "But hey, he knows we're special." He leaned in to kiss Rachel.

x

A few days later, it was the day of the primary. The TV anchors were saying that the turnout was one of the highest the state had ever seen for a primary. That could be a good thing. The number of Santos voters and Russell voters was almost even, and there were a lot of Baker votes here, too... And to make matters worse, they'd been consistently trailing every time the news anchors announced how things were going on TV...

The campaign staff sat in the candidate suite at the hotel. Luckily, Vinick left New Hampshire the day after the incident at the hotel restaurant, so that prevented him adding any more stress.

Finn looked over at Rachel, noticing how nervous she looked. "Are you okay?"

"Just nervous," Rachel admitted.

"Me too," Finn said. "But aren't we all?"

"This feels kind of different," Rachel said. "It's tougher to defend than to overcome, you know?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "But I think that he had a good week. His speeches were good and I'm happy with how the new ads turned out."

"And next we go to South Carolina," Rachel said. "It'll be nice to get a break from the cold."

"It will," Finn agreed. He looked over at the Santos kids. "You guys head back home to Texas after this, right?"

"Yeah," Miranda said. "I don't want to, but Mommy and Daddy said we have to go back to school."

"I hope your mommy still isn't throwing up all the time," Rachel said, finally seeming to light up.

"She still throws up EVERY MORNING," Peter said.

The conversation was interrupted when the TV anchor spoke. "With over 90% of precincts counted, we are prepared to call the New Hampshire primary for former Vice President Bob Russell... he has 37% of the votes, with Texas Congressman Matt Santos in second place with 33%..."

Finn felt numb. They'd lost New Hampshire. It was only one primary, but they'd lost. All the people who thought Iowa was only a fluke would probably think so even more after tonight. He'd hoped they'd make a late comeback, but Russell had been leading all night, and now he heard that Matt was asking for Russell's phone number...

Finn looked over at Rachel. She looked so upset, it made Finn even more sad. He pulled her in for a hug. "It's only one primary," Rachel said softly.

"Yeah," Finn said, neither of them wanting to say that this could very well happen again. They'd been working as hard as they could. Their candidate was working as hard as he could. No one had done anything wrong - and they'd still lost.

But there was still hope for a President Santos - right?

 _Chapter 14 preview: When Finchel are down about the New Hampshire loss and the aftermath, their friends decide to take some things into their own hands. Finchel also celebrate their first Valentine's Day back together!_

 _PS: You might remember that there will be two pregnancies - one Glee character, one West Wing character... well, they might be revealed soon..._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 14!_


	14. Chapter 14: Valentine's Day and Chickens

_Merry late Christmas, everyone! And since I probably won't update before then, an early Happy New Year! I hope everyone's having a great holiday season, I know I am :) Thank you all for all your support on the last chapter, I really appreciated them. And in response to a review on my last chapter - since it's an inside joke among West Wing fans that the characters watch a show where our politicians are characters on a TV show they watch, so that's the case here :) Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going - let me know what you like :)_

Chapter 14: Valentine's Day and Chickens

"And with over 90% of the votes in, we are prepared to call the South Carolina Democratic primary for former Vice President Bob Russell, who wins with 39% of the vote. Texas Congressman Matt Santos finishes second with 36%..."

Finn groaned as he fell backwards on to the couch in the suite where the campaign staff was watching the South Carolina returns. This week had been a lot like the weeks in Iowa and New Hampshire: stump events and rallies with speeches by the candidate almost every day, going door to door and making phone calls... but the ending of the night was like the end of the night in New Hampshire, not like Iowa.

"It was a smaller gap than in Iowa," Rachel said to Finn.

"Yeah," Finn sighed. He could tell by the look on Rachel's face that she was upset. Two losses in a row. They had one win. Russell had two. From the beginning, Russell was expected to be the nominee. But Russell didn't have what it took to be president. Sure, he would be better than Vinick, but he wouldn't be great. Matt Santos would be a great president.

"I thought Russell was starting to get threatened by Matt," Rachel told Finn. "Hey, before we really started taking off, I heard Russell had even started talking about potential vice presidents..."

"Did your dad tell you that?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We've been working so hard..." She looked over at Josh. "Where's Matt?"

"He's on the phone with Russell," Josh said.

Once again, their candidate had been the one to make the call. "We've been working so hard," Rachel repeated.

"He still has some delegates and the Iowa victory," Josh said. "Russell was Vice President under a president from New Hampshire, and for whatever reason he's always been popular in the south..."

"Said president from New Hampshire endorsed Matt, not Russell," Finn pointed out.

"We're heading to Florida tomorrow for the next one," Josh said. "It's the first big state. If we do win Florida, it could help us make the voters and the media remember that we aren't done. Bartlet really took off after winning Illinois."

Finn still was feeling nervous. Two candidates had already withdrawn. And this conversation was taking longer than usual... "Then we have Nevada, and then Super Tuesday..."

"Wait until after Super Tuesday to panic," Josh said.

Finn turned to Rachel and pulled her in for a hug. Neither of them said much. When Matt came out, Rachel and Finn looked over. "Don't give up yet," Finn said. "You should have won today."

"Russell asked me to withdraw and throw my support behind him in exchange for a position in the cabinet," Matt said.

Finn had admit, that did mean Russell was still intimidated by this campaign. "But you didn't agree to that, right?" Rachel asked.

"I'm in this for the long haul," Matt said. "Now, I do have a concession speech to give..."

The worst part of the night in New Hampshire had been the concession speech. That would probably be the worst part tonight, too.

x

It was very warm in Florida, just like it had been in South Carolina, almost as if it was a signal that good things were coming. That hadn't been the case in South Carolina - good things hadn't happen. But hopefully that would be the case here.

There was one good thing though - this was Finn and Rachel's first Valentine's Day since they got back together. Finn had requested Valentine's Day off so he could have the whole day to spend with Rachel. He didn't know if she even remembered that it was Valentine's Day coming with the campaign in full swing, but he wanted it to be a special day for them, especially after the disappointments in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Finn had texted Rachel, asking her to meet him at the beach near the hotel the campaign was staying at. He was sure that this would be a great day for him and Rachel, even if there were rough times coming for the campaign.

Finn sat at the beach, waiting for Rachel to arrive. They'd only had one Valentine's Day together as a couple. Sophomore year, she'd been with Jesse. Junior year, they were fresh off their breakup and Finn was pursuing Quinn. Even Valentine's Day senior year hadn't been perfect, with the "party" Rachel's dads had thrown them to convince them not to get married and their argument about the future. Finn spent Valentine's Day 2013 at Mr. Schue's wedding attempt, and in 2014 and 2015, he'd been on two bad dates with girls from University of Lima.

Today would be a good one though. He knew it.

Here she came, wearing a beautiful striped dress, carrying a gift bag. Finn hadn't mentioned Valentine's Day to Rachel in the past week, hoping to make the surprise even more special. But with Rachel carrying the bag, it looked like she remembered, too.

"Hey!" Finn said, giving Rachel a hug. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Happy Valentine's Day," Rachel said, hugging Finn back. "I got you a few things."

"You did?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said, handing Finn the bag. "I know gifts aren't normally exchanged for Valentine's Day, but we missed so many Christmases and birthdays... I wanted to make up for it."

Finn opened the bag. There was a box of chocolates, tickets to opening day of baseball season and the latest CD of an up-and-coming rock band he'd been liking. "Wow, thank you so much Rachel." He gave her a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rachel said. "And we'll be in Ohio for the primary there on opening day, so it's perfect."

"It is perfect," Finn said. "I got you something, too." He handed Rachel a bouquet of flowers and a giftwrapped box, smiling when she opened it to reveal a box of chocolate of her own, plus a pair of turquoise earrings to match the necklace and bracelet he'd gotten her for her birthday and Christmas. "Finn, you spoil me."

"It's my job, as your boyfriend," Finn said.

"I love hearing you say that again," Rachel said.

"Well, I love getting to say it again," Finn said, kissing Rachel again. He held out his hand. "Walk down the beach with me?"

"Of course," Rachel said, taking Finn's hand. "This is a nice break from all the snow and cold."

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever walked barefoot in February before," Rachel added. She and Finn began walking down the beach together, the waves crashing at their feet. Then she knelt down and drew a heart in the sand and wrote "Finchel" in it.

"Awww!" Finn said. "We came up with that."

"Yes we did," Rachel said as she kissed Finn. "Maybe during our break tomorrow we should go swimming here..."

"You just want to see me in my swimsuit, don't you?" Finn asked.

"You're telling me you wouldn't like to see me in a bikini?" Rachel shot back.

"Well..." Finn began to tease Rachel. "Who am I kidding, of course I do."

"That's what I thought," Rachel said, splashing Finn's legs with some water.

"You know, if you weren't fully clothed, I could throw you into the water," Finn smirked.

"You wouldn't dare!" Rachel gasped.

"Try me," Finn shot back.

"You're lucky I love you," Rachel said. "You're the only one I let tease me."

"Aren't I lucky?" Finn asked.

"You are," Rachel said. "But I'm luckier."

"We'll see if you think that when we get to the next part of our surprise," Finn said. He pointed to a restaurant on the pier. "That's where we're having lunch."

x

The meal at the pier restaurant was probably the best Rachel had ever had, and after lunch, they had decided to go back to the beach for some swimming. She was most excited about what she'd planned for tonight though. She'd wanted to keep Finn out of their hotel room all afternoon and had enlisted the help of some of their single friends from the campaign to set up the room (most of them were going out tonight with other staff members, but they agreed to do it for Finn and Rachel before they went out). When Rachel and Finn got back to the hotel, Rachel smiled as she opened the door. Everything was just as she'd wanted it. Slow romantic music was playing. She'd bought some streamers and balloons to hang up. There were flowers and candles in the center of the table, with two glasses filled with champagne. All Rachel needed was the room service food to arrive.

"Wow," Finn said softly. "Rachel, you put this together?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling up at Finn. "I wanted to do something special for us, for our first Valentine's Day back together."

"So we both had plans for today for each other, but kept them private," Finn pointed out.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We still think alike."

"Yes, we do," Finn said.

Rachel heard a knock on the door and a call that room service was here. She opened the door and brought in the food. "That smells really good," Finn said. "What did you order?"

"All your favorites," Rachel said, smiling at Finn.

"You're the best girlfriend ever," Finn said.

"Well, you're the best boyfriend ever," Rachel said.

After dinner, the bed was looking VERY appealing to both Finn and Rachel. Like at the wedding, they stared at the bed, and then at each other, pulled off their clothes, and crawled into the bed. Rachel pulled the covers over her and Finn once they were under the covers, leaning in to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Finn said, moving closer into Rachel.

"Harder," Rachel whispered.

"I can go harder," Finn said.

"Then I'm not stopping you," Rachel whispered.

"It feels good, what can I say?" Finn whispered.

x

Finn and Rachel had tired each other out in that bed on Valentine's Day - in fact, the bed brace had broken because of what had been going on in it. When Finn and Rachel realized what a wreck the bed had become, they were a bit embarrassed, offered to pay the hotel for the damages, and hoped their supervisors wouldn't find out.

Of course, there were other things on everyone else's minds. The primary was the 15th, and all night, the TV anchors kept saying that this was close - closer than anyone had thought it would be and closer than any of the races had been so far. The room was silent. This was important... the first of the big states, the campaign needing to make up for New Hampshire and South Carolina...

"In the closest race so far of the Democratic primaries, it's a three-peat for Former Vice President Bob Russell. He takes 40 percent of the Florida vote to Texas Congressman Matt Santos's 39 percent. In fact, the third straight victory for Russell makes Santos's Iowa victory look like a long time ago..." the TV anchor began.

Finn groaned. Another loss. He couldn't bear to listen to the TV anchor anymore, who was sounding more and more like Russell was the sure bet for the Democratic nomination. He just looked over at Rachel, who looked ready to cry.

"Hey," Finn said, pulling Rachel in for a hug.

Rachel tightened the hug without saying anything. "They're trying to write him off!" she finally said.

"This isn't okay," Finn said. He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't okay with this - but they'd been waiting all night. Like it or not, this was happening. Bob Russell had three primary victories. Matt Santos had one.

x

"I'm not even going to bother talking to my dad," Rachel said as she and Finn skyped with their friends in New York. "I don't want to talk to him. He'll probably rub this in my face."

"There have only been four primaries so far," Kurt said. "It's not over."

"Russell's acting like it is," Finn said. "And now that Super Tuesday's coming up, we need to get to every state. We spent a week at a time in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, and in three of those states, that wasn't enough to win, despite all the work we did there. How are we supposed to make real connections when we only get a day or two?" He didn't want to give up. But he was still stressed. The campaign had just gotten to Utah - a state that Finn and Rachel were sure was a waste of time to be spending time in. Utah had voted 78% for Vinick in 2012, but it was a state for Super Tuesday, so they needed to spend some time there.

"If it means anything, there's a lot of Santos supporters here in New York," Sam said. "You can't go up and down the street without seeing a Santos sign in a window, or someone with a Santos shirt or button..."

"Yeah, we probably see the most stuff for him out of anyone," Artie added.

"I guess that's a good thing," Rachel said.

"Of course it is," Kurt said. "You guys shouldn't be so hard on yourselves..."

"The country needs him," Rachel said. "He's the real deal. He's the one this country has been waiting for..."

"My parents would be ashamed to think that I'm considering voting for a Democrat," Kitty said.

"Seriously, he does have the best takes on the issues," Blaine said. "Not to mention he's sexy as fuck..."

"Stop it, Blaine!" Kurt shrieked as the others laughed.

"Are you two okay though?" Blaine asked. "As okay as you can be, anyway? You both look so sad..."

Finn and Rachel weren't okay. They never expected to get this invested, neither of them had been this involved in a campaign before. But they were. "Hopefully, you will be."

"I can't believe this country elected Vinick once, let alone they might twice," Santana said. "Are the American people REALLY that naive?"

"I hope not," Rachel said.

"We're doing our part here," Artie said. "We've been making some phone calls."

"Thanks, guys," Rachel said.

"You'll be okay, and the campaign will be okay," Sam said. "At this time next year, Matt Santos will be president, and Arnold Vinick will be unemployed."

Finn and Rachel used to be the ones with that optimism. Thanks to the three primary losses, they weren't anymore.

"Vinick will be in New York tomorrow," Rachel said. "You guys better look out."

x

After the Salt Lake City rally, the campaign went out to dinner. The crowd had still been supportive, and it was comforting, to some extent, to know that even in arguably the most conservative state in the nation, there were Santos supporters. Rachel figured maybe it was the little things that mattered. She was feeling better, Finn seemed to be doing better and lots of the other staff members - including the candidate himself - seemed to be doing better.

Until they saw Vinick walking over to their table. "They're here again?" Finn whispered to Rachel. "This is the third time he's been in the same city as us! If he wasn't the president, he wouldn't be getting away with it..."

"Hi, Mr. President," Matt said, standing to greet his opponent.

"Hi Congressman," Vinick said. "I just wanted to say congratulations."

"Congratulations?" Matt asked.

"You finished second in three primaries," Vinick said.

Was this the president showing a soul? Rachel felt shocked. But then Vinick continued talking. "You know, nobody thought you were going to ever get out of the single digits. You did. That Iowa win was a fluke. You're not going to be president. You've had your fun. Russell is going to get the nomination. Everyone knew that from the beginning. You were only kidding yourself and your staff and your supporters..."

"Mr. President, remember what I told you last time I saw you?" Matt asked. "We aren't in high school. Stop acting like it."

"You are so pathetic," Vinick continued. "There is no place for your wide-eyed idealism in Washington. You were never fit to be in congress, let alone be president. I'm going to tell you how this is going to work. I get re-elected and you get humiliated..."

"You didn't hear what I just said, did you?" Matt asked. "In the elections where I ran for congress, candidates spoke to each other civilly."

"Mr. President, we should really go now," said one of the secret service agents. "Congressman Santos is right. You're not acting very presidential right now, you're acting like you're in high school, and that's how you've been acting since the campaign cycle started. And we've all had enough."

As he started to leave, Vinick looked over at his opponent. "Have you, Matt? Have you finally had enough?"

Rachel scanned the table after the president and secret service left. Finn had a look of disgust, as did most of the other staff members - but the candidate himself looked more hurt than angry.

x

"With the Nevada caucus coming up in two weeks, a candidate would have to win here and win a majority of states on Super Tuesday in four weeks to have any hope of beating former Vice President Bob Russell for the nomination. He's been set up as the frontrunner from the beginning, and his wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida have definitely helped him. Of course, it should probably also be mentioned that Texas Congressman Matt Santos got the first win in Iowa..."

"Probably?" Rachel asked, looking at Finn as they watched TV the next day. "Does CNN WANT Russell to get the nomination?"

"I don't even know," Finn sighed. "Maybe we should turn off the TV..."

But something caught their eye on the TV. There was footage of Vinick at a restaurant with some people dressed in large, yellow suits in the background. "But we can't forget that the president is also up for re-election. Today, he had some questions from some not so typical voters..."

"Hey, Mr. President!" a voice on the TV that sounded a lot like Santana's said. The TV panned to a group of people dressed as chickens. "Why aren't you addressing the issues? Why are you just badmouthing the Democrats all the time?"

"Are you too chicken to face the issues?" said a voice that sounded a lot like Blaine's.

"Is it that you know you're a bad president, or are you just chicken?" asked a third chicken. This one sounded a lot like Kurt...

"Oh my gosh," Finn said. "Do you think those are who they sound like?"

"I do not know," Rachel said. Vinick was in New York right now, after all, and their friends knew how upset Finn and Rachel were about the three consecutive losses.

The chickens left the restaurant, and Finn found himself laughing for the first time since the Florida results had come in. "That was great!"

"He is a chicken," Rachel said.

Finn's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Kurt. He read it and showed the text to Rachel. "Wait until you see what we did today..."

"It was them!" Finn laughed.

"Oh my gosh!" Rachel laughed. "That's so wrong, but so funny."

"At least we know they've got our backs, and our candidate's back," Finn said.

 _Chapter 15 preview: Can the campaign bounce back with the upcoming primaries? Finchel are also featured in a tabloid for the first time..._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 15!_


	15. Chapter 15: Super Tuesday

_Happy New Year, everyone! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I wanted to wait until after holidays so people would have more time, and I also have been dealing with some personal issues. I'm really sorry, but I hope you guys understand. Trust me, I wish I could update more because I feel like there aren't enough Finchel stories these days and it makes me sad - we need to keep Finchel going! Anyway, PLEASE review if you want me to keep going and let me know what you like. Thanks again and enjoy!_

Chapter 15: Super Tuesday

"Hey, Finn, Rachel, can I borrow you two a second?" Josh asked.

Finn and Rachel exchanged a look. "Sure," Finn said. The campaign was extremely stressed about the three straight losses and it was no secret that if the campaign wanted to stay alive, they needed to do well on Super Tuesday. The candidate who had finished third in all four of those primaries had just quit the race. It was unknown who his supporters would flock to, but as much as everyone didn't like it, Russell was looking like a frontrunner.

What if the campaign had decided some changes had to be made?

Josh closed the door after he, Finn and Rachel entered the room. "In Touch has a photo of your hotel room in Orlando from the weekend before the Florida primary..."

Oh no. What happened? "Okay..." Finn began. Then it came to him. The weekend before the Florida primary was Valentine's Day weekend...

Sure enough, Josh handed Finn and Rachel a photo of the broken bed. "Oh God..." Rachel said, looking horrified.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" Josh asked.

"I'm sorry about this," Finn said. "I don't know how this photo got out... we offered to pay for the damages..."

"What happened to that bed?" Josh asked.

"We..." Rachel began. "We broke it together, when we were both in it."

Josh looked like he understood now. "Okay."

"We offered to pay for the damages!" Finn repeated, hoping Josh didn't think he and Rachel were trashy.

"Well, I guess you're officially part of the campaign now," Josh said. "You've been in a tabloid."

"We're sorry," Rachel said. "It was our first Valentine's Day back together..."

"It's fine, just play it cool if anyone asks you about it," Josh said. "It was your first Valentine's Day back together... I can see that you'd want to have some extra fun."

"Exactly," Rachel said. She stared more at the photo. "I just wonder how they got that photo..."

"A hotel employee probably took it and gave it to a friend who gave it to a friend and it just kept circulating," Josh suggested. "This happens a lot in campaigns..."

"I guess we'll need to be more careful," Finn said. He had to admit, this was kind of embarrassing. Still, at least he and Rachel were being recognized as a couple.

"Wow," Rachel repeated, staring at the photo.

"I'm sure this is a bit uncomfortable," Josh said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "What did you and Donna do behind closed doors on Valentine's Day, Josh?"

"Rachel," Finn reprimanded his girlfriend. He knew she was upset, but asking their boss about his sex life was a bit out of line.

"I wasn't expecting this," Rachel said.

"I'm sorry," Josh repeated. "I can contact In Touch and tell them to take it off their website, but you know how the internet works. Once something's out there, it's out there forever. The good news is this will probably blow over. These things are usually over pretty quickly."

"I always wanted to be known, I guess this comes with it," Rachel groaned.

"Has Matt seen this?" Finn asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"He hasn't," Josh said. "He will eventually..."

"The last thing I need is him thinking I'm a whore," Rachel said.

"He's not going to think that," Josh said. "He probably doesn't want me to say this, but I'm pretty sure I heard him and Helen doing it when we stopped at their house and I had to do some paperwork. He won't judge. Plus, it makes the two of you look cool, so it's not all bad."

Finn looked at Rachel. He was a bit embarrassed, but Josh had some points. "We'll be more careful next time, I promise."

x

Josh had been right - luckily, Finn and Rachel hadn't had to face too much criticism for their Valentine's Day antics. There were a few newspapers and magazines that had said some negative things, but for the most part, they had been lauded as being cool. Their friends from home and from the campaign had admitted they were impressed that Finn and Rachel could break a bed. At least the overall reception had been positive, but Rachel was still a little uncomfortable with her and Finn's sex life being made public. The campaign had let Finn and Rachel do inside work rather than going out too much during the days after the photo leaked.

Of course, there were other things on everyone else's mind - the Nevada caucus and Super Tuesday. After what happened in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, people were beginning to count the Santos campaign out.

Finn and Rachel were going door to door in Alabama, one of the most conservative states in the nation. They hadn't encountered a single Santos voter - only Vinick voters and one Russell voter. It was definitely discouraging. Since Alabama was a Super Tuesday state, they had to do this - but it was disheartening.

"Well, there were lots of Santos supporters in Maryland and Virginia," Rachel sighed as she and Finn finished their route.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Have you looked at the polls? Most of the people voting Santos are saying they're doing so because they like where he stands on the issues. Most people voting for Russell are voting for him because he was Bartlet's vice president."

"Yeah, I saw those," Rachel said. "Just because Russell was vice president in a good administration doesn't mean he'd necessarily be a good president. He only became vice president in the first place because the first one had to resign and the Republican speaker picked him..."

"I know," Finn said. "People are voting Russell by association, but people voting Santos are doing so because they know he'll be great."

"If we can get him elected," Rachel sighed.

Finn didn't like the sound of this. "When did we become these people? We had so much optimism... then New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina happened."

"Yeah, that's how we became this," Rachel said. "I have faith, but those primaries were discouraging... and what Vinick said to us in Florida really stung."

"It did," Finn admitted. "It made me angry... but Matt didn't look mad, he looked sad. And I'm not sure which is worse from a candidate."

"The thing is, I think Vinick must be afraid of him," Rachel said. "You see how he goes after him. He doesn't go after Russell or any of the others like that."

"Yeah, I agree," Finn said. He put his arm around Rachel. "We're heading up to Nevada tomorrow... we'll see how things go."

x

"Let's not break this bed," Rachel whispered to Finn as they moved closer into each other in their hotel room in Nevada. The caucus was tonight and coverage would begin soon, so Finn and Rachel were trying to keep their minds off things.

"At least this time we actually remembered protection," Finn laughed.

"Maybe that's what broke the bed," Rachel said.

"Kurt asked me how we managed to do that," Finn said.

"I'm not even sure how we did it," Rachel admitted. "Santana and Kurt both asked me, too..."

"Our chicken friends," Finn laughed.

"That was pretty amazing," Rachel said. "It's a good thing Vinick never found out who was in those suits."

"Well, he is a chicken," Finn said. Finn and Rachel had told their friends on the campaign about it, who thought it was funny - but they hadn't told the candidate.

"It's kind of odd," Rachel said. "It's like we never stopped making love. I mean, I know it's been a while, but it didn't feel uncomfortable before. It feels better than it ever did."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Finn said as he leaned in and kissed Rachel. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rachel said, deepening the kiss. As they pulled apart, the alarm went off, letting them know that it was time to go to the suite for results. "Here we go."

"Here's to a better night," Finn said.

"Hey, we are in Vegas, if it doesn't go well," Rachel said. She took Finn's hand as they went to the suite where the rest of the staff was waiting.

The wait for results was long. It seemed longer than usual tonight. In the past, Rachel had just wanted the results to come in, but after what happened in the past three primaries, she was fine with it taking as long as possible.

Her phone vibrated at around midnight. She opened it and saw a text from LeRoy: "It's not too late. I'm sure Russell would love to have you and Finn."

Finn looked at Rachel. "Is that your dad?"

"How did you know?" Rachel asked.

"I know that look," Finn said.

"Yeah, that was him," Rachel sighed. "Does he have a crush on Russell or something? He thinks we should leave and go work for Russell..."

"Well, I doubt that," Finn said. "I'm straight and I can tell that Matt's much more attractive than Russell."

"Blaine would be proud to hear you say that," Rachel said.

Finn laughed. "How are you doing tonight?"

"Nervous, but aren't we all?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. He remembered Russell's call in South Carolina - offering a place in the cabinet in exchange for dropping out of the race. Russell was clearly intimidated and Vinick was clearly intimidated - but would they continue to be intimidated if the campaign kept losing primaries?

A few minutes later, the TV anchor spoke. "And with over 80% of votes in, we're prepared to call the Nevada caucus. It was once again a very close race between former Vice President and current Senator Bob Russell and Texas Congressman Matt Santos, but Santos has prevailed with 43% of the vote to Russell's 39%..."

"We won!" Rachel gasped as she kissed Finn. "We won another state!"

Finn hugged Rachel tightly. The losing streak was over.

"Many people were counting Santos out after his losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, but he proved he's not out of this," the anchor continued.

"He's not out of it," Finn said. He kissed Rachel. "We did it."

"Yeah, we did it," Rachel said.

x

Finn was having trouble sleeping - but for once, it wasn't because of his nerves, it was because he was so happy to have another win under their belts. He couldn't stay up though - he had a long day tomorrow. They were going to California, the biggest state of Super Tuesday and in the country, Vinick's home state. What happened there would be big, no matter what the results were.

Finn gave a sleeping Rachel a quick kiss and then went downstairs to the hotel gym, hoping it would tire him out a little. To his surprise, he wasn't the only one at the gym. "Hey! It's the winner of the Nevada Caucus!" Finn said as he walked in.

"You having trouble sleeping?" Matt asked Finn.

"Yeah, running on adrenaline," Finn said. "We won again... I'm just so happy."

"Me too," Matt said.

"I was beginning to get nervous, but after another win..." Finn said. "I think we can pull this off."

"I do too," Matt said. "I talked to Burt tonight, by the way. He said you should be calling more."

Finn felt guilty for not calling him much. "Yeah, I should call home more, I'm just tired a lot... but you said you call Helen every day. I'm surprised she hasn't been with you."

"I don't want her traveling much," Matt admitted. "Not in her condition." He then looked like he regretted what he said.

Finn paused. Was everything okay? "Condition? Is she okay?"

"Well, we aren't announcing it yet," Matt said. "But in about six months..."

Finn figured this out. "Congratulations! This is amazing! You'll be bringing a baby with you to the White House!"

"Don't put anything on the blog yet," Matt said. "Just in case, we want to wait..."

The gym door opened, and Rachel came in. "Finnegan Christopher Hudson, it's four in the morning... why aren't you in bed?"

"Sorry babe," Finn said. "Just so excited about our win."

"Yeah, and we have a lot to do," Rachel said. She looked at Matt. "And if you want to be at your best when you're president, you'll need to get adequate amounts of sleep, too. Do you want me to call Helen and tell her to tell you to go to bed?"

"Oh, let her sleep," Finn smirked. "She won't be getting to much in about six months - and neither will he. Babies cry a lot at night."

"Oh my gosh!" Rachel squealed. "She's pregnant! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks," Matt said. "We're pretty excited, too. Now, Rachel's right... it is pretty late, and we've got to get to California tomorrow. Let's try to get some sleep, shall we?"

"Yeah, maybe you're both right," Finn said.

x

By the time Super Tuesday arrived, the campaign had spent time in all the states holding their primaries on Super Tuesday. Finn wasn't sure how they would go. There had been lots of Santos supporters in the states they'd been to, but there had been lots of Russell supporters as well.

The campaign had returned to Houston for Super Tuesday so the candidate could be at home and comfortable. A watch party where the speech would eventually be held was being set up at a hotel not too far from the Santos home, where the campaign would be spending the evening.

It did feel good to be back where the campaign had first really taken off, the city where the first debate had been held. And even if it wasn't his home, being at a house rather than a hotel did feel more relaxed. Finn and Rachel had gone out to an early dinner and were back at the Santos house. They sat quietly in the living room, neither saying much but both knowing that the nerves were setting in. Yes, they'd won the Nevada and Iowa caucuses, but those weren't particularly big states. They still only had two states and Russell had three.

Tonight was going to be the big test. There were only four candidates left in the Democratic race, and Burt had told Finn back in 2012 that if a candidate didn't do well on Super Tuesday, it was pretty much over.

Finn hadn't thought much of that back then, but now it meant so much more. His future was at stake. The country's future was at stake. If the Santos campaign didn't do well tonight, he didn't know what would happen next.

"Finn, I've got to run to the pharmacy," Rachel said, interrupting Finn's thoughts. "Need anything?"

"I'll go with you," Finn said.

"No, I just... I need a little time to myself," Rachel said. "We have a big night tonight, after all..."

"Okay," Finn said. "If I think of anything I need, I'll text you." He just hoped Rachel was okay. Tonight was a big night and he knew she was nervous. But he didn't want to force himself on her - maybe she did need some time to herself.

x

The first announcement came shortly after the polls closed - Russell had won Alabama.

It was only the first state, but it was still something. Rachel looked over at Finn, wondering how the rest of the night would go.

Vermont was called as a Santos victory a few minutes later, but Vermont was very small and didn't have very many delegates. Rachel felt her phone vibrate and looked at it. It was a text from Kurt. "We're all watching in New York and thinking of you and Finn. Good luck tonight! Love you both!"

Rachel smiled to herself as she showed Finn the text. "Maybe they can dress as chickens again if we need them to," Finn said.

"They'd do it for us," Rachel said.

"They would," Finn said. "We're lucky to have them."

Before Rachel could say anything else, the TV had another announcement: they were declaring a Santos victory in Massachusetts. But it wasn't over yet.

A little while later, Maryland and Virginia were both declared as Santos victories. Four states were in their column. Russell only had one. With four states in their column, they now had five total states won in the primaries - and Russell only had four total.

"It isn't over yet," Finn said, looking at Rachel, clearly trying to control his excitement, but remind himself of that at the same time.

"I know, but five states," Rachel said. She looked at the TV screen. Waiting was always the hardest part. More polls were closing soon, and Georgia and Tennessee, which had already closed, were too close to call.

Shortly after the next batch of states closed their polls, the TV called Georgia and Tennessee for Russell. Rachel began feeling nervous again. She looked over at Finn. "Do you think it's over if we don't do well tonight?"

"I don't know," Finn said. "I hope not. The country needs him."

"Yeah," Rachel said, weaving her fingers into Finn's.

Finn began massaging Rachel's shoulders as they waited for more results. Finally, the TV anchor announced that Texas was going to its native son. The biggest state to be called so far was being called in their column.

The staff started cheering and hugging, and to Finn and Rachel's surprise, many staff members began singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

"They should leave the singing at the rallies to us," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"Yeah, they should," Rachel whispered back. But soon the singing was interrupted with two more calls for the Santos column - Minnesota and Russell's home state of Colorado.

The room fell silent when it was announced that Russell's home state was theirs. No one had expected this - and it was proof that this race wasn't over.

Winning the biggest state so far and their main opponent's home state had helped to calm Rachel's nerves. It didn't bother her as much when the network called Alaska, Arkansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming for Russell - they had won the bigger states tonight and had proven they were still in this.

Finally came the last call - they'd won California - the president's home state and the biggest in the nation.

"Wow," Finn said, looking at Rachel.

"Yeah, wow," Rachel said. She didn't know what else to say. It had been a long night with ups and downs, nerves, disappointments and excitement, but tonight had proved that all the people who counted them out after their three straight losses were wrong. This campaign wasn't done yet.

Matt came over to Finn and Rachel. "Hey, before I give my victory speech, I wanted to say thanks."

"Us?" Rachel asked.

"I see the way you two talk to voters, and I read your blog posts, and I know how energized you get the crowds at the rallies," Matt said. "You two helped make tonight happen. Don't forget that."

Rachel smiled over at Finn. "Thank you. And congratulations. You deserve this."

"Yeah, you do," Finn said, wrapping his arms around Rachel.

When Matt left to thank other staff members before his speech, Finn and Rachel embraced each other tighter. There was still a way to go to the nomination and then the general, but they both had a feeling they could pull this off.

 _Chapter 16 preview: Finn and Rachel learn something about Matt Santos's past that could potentially hurt the campaign - and get some life changing news of their own._

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 16!_


	16. Chapter 16: Secrets

_Hi, guys. Thanks so much for your reviews on the last chapter. It was one of my favorites to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it :) I think this one might be my favorite in the story so far so I hope you guys like it, too! Thanks again for all the support, and review and let me know what you like if I should keep going!_

Chapter 16: Secrets

Rachel was over the moon about the Super Tuesday victories. She'd been worried that the campaign would have to throw in the towel if they didn't do well today, but that was far from the case. The states they'd won had been bigger than the ones Russell had won. She'd gotten congratulatory text messages from just about all her friends, even from Hiram and Shelby.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing on Rachel's mind. Her period was due last week - and it hadn't come. In the morning, she'd been feeling sick a lot. She'd also been feeling tenderness in her breasts. Yesterday she'd gone to the pharmacy (with a hat and sunglasses on in hopes of not being recognized) and bought a few pregnancy tests. In hopes that no one would find them, she snuck into the Santoses' basement bathroom and hid the tests behind the toilet paper in the cupboard. She'd read that she should take a pregnancy test in the morning, so she'd hoped that no one would get to the tests before she did or see them and figure out that they were hers. After all, there was a chance she wasn't pregnant, and she didn't want to worry Finn in case she wasn't.

Rachel tiptoed into the basement, hoping that no one else would see or hear her. When she went in the bathroom, she noticed that there was less toilet paper in the cupboard, but at least all three pregnancy tests were still there.

Things would be okay, right? After all, Helen was pregnant... people could just assume these were unused pregnancy tests from her.

Rachel got out the three tests and peed on them. When she finished, she set the alarm on her phone, wondering what would happen if she WAS pregnant. She had a job now and she hoped the campaign would keep going, but after the campaign was over, what would happen to her? What would she be doing? What sort of money would she be making?

And what would Finn think if she was pregnant? They'd just gotten back together and they wanted to take things slow. This wouldn't just impact her, it would impact him as well. They hadn't been thinking on Valentine's Day... they were just so overwhelmed by everything, so happy to be back together...

And what would her dads think? She knew they weren't very happy with her right now anyway. This wasn't what they wanted her to be doing. They wanted her on Broadway.

The alarm went off. Rachel looked at the tests.

All three were positive.

x

"Hey," Rachel said softly as she tapped Finn's shoulder.

Finn looked up as he finished his post for the blog. Last night had been such a great night, but Rachel didn't look very happy. "Are you okay, Rachel?"

"Can we talk?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, of course," Finn said. "Rachel, I know we had a rough start, but look how well we did last night! We won the two biggest states in the country. These next few days are for us to relax since we visited Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas and Mississippi, and we'll be going to Maine and Michigan..."

"Finn, can we just talk in a private area?" Rachel asked.

Whatever was upsetting Rachel, Finn wanted to make her feel better. "Yeah, of course."

Finn and Rachel went into the basement. "I'm pregnant," Rachel said.

Finn hadn't guessed what to expect, but he wasn't expecting this. He was sure his heart had skipped a beat. "Oh my God..."

"I'm so sorry, Finn," Rachel said, looking close to tears.

Finn pulled Rachel close. "Baby... is it from the night of the broken bed?"

Rachel nodded. "I'm so sorry, Finn... I'm so afraid... I don't know what to do..."

Finn didn't know what to do or say. "Me either... our parents are probably going to be upset..." He looked down at Rachel's stomach.

"What if the press finds out about this?" Rachel asked.

That hadn't even come to Finn's mind. "I don't even know... the bed thing passed pretty quickly. I just hope we don't get fired... if we keep the baby, we'll need money, and I'm really enjoying this..."

"I'm so sorry, Finn," Rachel said, tightening the hug. "You're the only one who knows."

"Do you think we should tell anyone else?" Finn asked. "You don't need to apologize..."

"We'll get through this, right?" Rachel asked.

"I hope so," Finn said as he hugged Rachel close.

"I love you," Rachel said.

"I love you too," Finn said. "Rachel... we should probably tell the congressman." He wasn't sure if he wanted to, but he felt like they had to.

"I just need some time for it to sink in," Rachel said. "We'll tell him sometime today."

"Okay," Finn said. "But we should be the ones to tell him."

x

"Finn, Rachel, can I borrow you two?"

Rachel looked up from the laptop where she and Finn were making hotel reservations for the campaign and saw Matt. Maybe now would be a good time to tell him. "Yeah," Finn said as he took Rachel's hand and followed Matt into the basement.

"This is going to be a bit awkward," Matt said once he was in the basement with Finn and Rachel. "But I wanted to talk about something that fell out of the trashcan when I was cleaning out the basement bathroom trash this morning..."

Rachel was reminded of when Santana found her pregnancy test in New York. This time was different though. Something similar happened though this time - Rachel broke down in tears. This wasn't how she wanted the man she was trying to help get elected president to find out.

"Oh my God," Matt said. He pulled Rachel in for a hug and looked over at Finn. "It's okay. You guys are going to be okay."

"Please don't fire me," Rachel sobbed. "And please don't fire Finn. I'm so sorry... but I'm going to keep working hard and so is Finn..." She didn't know what else to say. She loved her job. She didn't want to lose her job. But she knew the Santos campaign would be criticized for having a pregnant and unmarried aide. At the same time, she also knew she'd need the money if she and Finn kept the baby.

"So, how far are you?" Matt asked.

"Well, it would have been from Valentine's Day," Finn said. "So about a month."

"Okay," Matt said. "Who else knows?"

"You're the only one we've told," Finn said. Rachel was relieved Finn was talking. "We're still processing it, to be honest... we don't know what we're going to do."

"You should see a doctor," Matt said. "Helen has an appointment with the OBGYN tomorrow... you two can come along and we'll squeeze you in."

"Thank you," Rachel managed to say. "My dads are going to kill me when they find out."

"I'm afraid to tell my parents, too," Finn said.

"I know your parents, Finn," Matt said. "They might be upset, but they won't do anything but support both of you."

"I hope you're right," Finn sighed.

"I'm scared," Rachel repeated. She didn't know what else to say. "In November or so, the baby's going to be here, and our lives will change forever. I'm not sure if we'll keep it or give it up... but I'm scared..."

"Let me tell you two something not many people know about," Matt said. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out an ultrasound photo, dated 1993. "This is my third child. Well, fourth, now that there's another on the way."

Rachel looked at the photo, then down at her stomach. Wherever this kid was, he or she wasn't here now.

"You have another kid?" Finn asked. "Why isn't he or she here?"

"When I was in my first year of college, I was confused, scared and lonely," Matt said. "It was an adjustment to being in a new place. I'd broken up with Helen because we were going to different colleges shortly before we left and I missed her, so I dated a few other girls to help me be less lonely. One of the girls I dated and I forgot to use protection one night... and this is what happened."

"So, did you guys give the baby up for adoption then?" Finn asked.

"Well, that's part of what I wanted to talk to you two about," Matt said. "I ended it before I found out she was pregnant because I knew the relationship wasn't working for either of us. After she got pregnant, she went home and mailed me a letter, telling me about how she was pregnant with this baby. She told me that she was giving the baby up for adoption and that it was going to be a closed adoption. She only sent me this ultrasound photo."

Rachel stared at the photo some more. "So, you don't know where the baby is?"

"I don't," Matt confirmed. "What you two are going to do is obviously up to you, but you should make sure you both agree on whatever you decide. She didn't even tell me she was pregnant before she sent me the letter. I didn't get a say in what happened to my baby and I don't want you two to go through that."

"Did you want to keep the baby?" Finn asked.

"It was so complicated," Matt said. "If I'd kept the baby, I would have had to do it on my own. She clearly didn't want to keep it. My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was in college and the workload was pretty intense. Ultimately, I wanted better for him or her than what I was capable of at the time, and when I thought about it, I knew that he or she would probably have a better life somewhere else. But that doesn't mean I don't miss him or her, every single day. It makes me sad that they weren't there on my wedding day or to meet their little brother and sister or on the nights of the primaries I won. If it's a boy, I didn't get to teach him how to play sports or take him to his first NFL and MLB games like I did with Peter. If it's a girl, I'm not going to be the one to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. I'm not sure if he or she even knows who I am. I wrote a letter saying he or she could contact me if they want to, but I'm not sure if the mother even gave it to the adoptive parents."

Rachel did some more thinking. She already felt a connection to this baby even though she'd just found out today and she didn't want to miss out on things in his or her life or have the baby miss out on things in her life. But she was young and Finn was young. Their parents didn't even know that they were expecting yet. She didn't know what to say, so she looked over at Finn and took his hand. "I want to keep the baby..."

"You two do have more money than I did when I was your age, both from this position and from your families," Matt said. "Of course, a baby is going to be a big responsibility, but I want you two to know, no matter what you decide to do, it's not going to be easy. If you do give the baby up, it'll be hard. I know I couldn't have given my child the life he or she needed. I hope wherever he or she is, they're happy, but that doesn't mean I don't wish I wasn't there for the first steps, the first words, the first day of school, for graduation... for all I know, he or she could be married or have a child of their own by now. What you two do is up to you, but whatever choice you make, their will be good things and bad things."

Rachel stared more at the ultrasound photo. She didn't like the idea of an ultrasound photo being the only thing she had of her baby. Her own familial situation was complicated as was... she wanted to keep the baby, but could she do it?

x

Finn sat in the waiting room at the OBGYN office with Rachel, thinking about the past 24 hours. He'd barely slept and Rachel barely had, too. Tomorrow the campaign would be leaving Texas to do some more campaigning, so that would be a good distraction. They'd done their best to stay focused on canvassing today, but this was hanging over both their heads. Finn didn't know what he and Rachel were going to do, but he didn't like the idea of only having an ultrasound photo. He didn't like the idea of going through his life wondering where his child was. He didn't want his child to spend his or her life wondering about their father. He'd grown up without a father and didn't want this child to go through the same thing.

"You okay?" Rachel asked, rubbing Finn's hand.

"I'm holding up," Finn sighed.

"Yeah, me too," Rachel said. "A baby, Finn. A baby..."

"It's crazy," Finn said. The only people who knew now were him, Rachel, Matt, Helen and now the doctor, but more people would find out. Finn knew that Rachel's dads were very specific about what they wanted from her and that their relationship was on shaky grounds already, and he was worried about what they'd say or think. He knew what Vinick and Sue were like - what would happen when they inevitably found out? His parents loved him, sure, but he had a feeling they wouldn't be happy.

Matt, Helen and the doctor came out. Rachel grabbed Finn's hand, both of them knowing it was likely their turn. "How's the baby?" Rachel asked.

"The babies are fine," Matt said, putting his arm around Helen.

"Babies?" Rachel asked, smiling for the first time Finn had seen her smile since they found out about the pregnancy.

"Yeah, babies," Helen said proudly. "It's twins."

"Wow, congratulations," Finn managed to say. "Two babies in the White House."

"Yeah," Matt said. "We don't know the genders, but we think it'll be one of each."

"Congratulations," Rachel repeated.

The doctor looked at Finn and Rachel. "You guys ready?"

Rachel gulped. "Yeah."

Finn looked over at Matt and Helen. "Thanks for doing this." He and Rachel both knew that they couldn't keep it quiet for long, but this was a way to cover it up now.

"So, you two are campaign aides?" the doctor asked as Finn and Rachel went into the examination room.

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"So, how long have you two been together?" the doctor asked.

Rachel looked at Finn. She wasn't sure how to answer that question. The fact that she was pregnant and unmarried was already something she'd probably get judged about. "It's complicated," Finn finally said.

"Okay," the doctor finally said. "Is this your first one?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. She gulped. "It's been on and off since high school... but this time, it's for the long haul." She didn't want to talk about their complicated history with a doctor they were just meeting, but maybe she should assure the doctor that this wasn't just a hookup. "Our lives were going in different directions... but we always found our way back to each other."

"I see," the doctor said. She put some gel on Rachel's stomach and began waving the wand over it before pointing at the screen. "See up there? That's your baby."

Rachel looked up at the screen as she squeezed Finn's hand. "Wow."

x

Seeing the ultrasound had made it more real. The baby was due in November - due a week after the election. Finn held Rachel's hand as they left the examination room. He wanted to just throw himself into work right now - but the fact of the matter was, this was happening. He didn't know how to deal with it, but he was going to have to.

"We're going to be okay," Rachel said to Finn, clearly trying to reassure him, but sounding very uneasy.

"We're due in November," Finn told Matt and Helen as they got into the waiting room. "A week after the election."

"It's real, seeing the ultrasound photo," Rachel said. "I don't want the ultrasound photo to be all I have of the baby..." She gulped. "Can we get back to the house to do some more campaign work now? I don't want the staff to get suspicious... at least not yet."

"Yeah, of course," Matt said.

The ride back to the Santos house was fairly quiet. Finn and Rachel kept looking at the ultrasound photos, and then Finn leaned over to Rachel. "This is our baby."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Maybe we should call our parents tonight..."

"I guess you're right," Finn said. As much as he wanted to keep things quiet, he and Rachel both knew they weren't that naive. They'd been told at the interview that working on the campaign would be like living under a microscope. Even if they didn't say anything, Rachel would start showing eventually. Helen was due in late September and was already noticeably pregnant. Rachel was due in November - she'd probably be showing as well in two months or so.

"I'm so sorry, Finn," Rachel repeated.

"You don't need to keep apologizing," Finn said.

"If you two want a few days off, I can give you a few days off," Matt called back.

"We're fine," Finn said. Work would help take their mind off things. He held Rachel's hand until they got back to the house. When they got back to the house, Finn asked if he could lie down for a little. He hadn't slept much last night and he needed some rest.

After a nap, Finn realized he needed to tell his parents what was going on. He got out his phone and dialed his mom's number, hoping everything would go okay.

Carole picked up the phone pretty soon. "Hey honey."

"Hi Mom," Finn said.

"You sound a bit down for a guy whose campaign won a bunch of primaries the other day," Carole said.

"Mom, is Burt home?" Finn asked. "There's something I need to talk to you guys about..."

"Yeah, he is," Carole said. "I'll go get him. Are you okay, honey? Are you sick?"

"Can you get Burt?" Finn asked nervously.

"Of course," Carole said before Burt came on to the phone.

"Hey Finn," Burt said.

"Hey Burt," Finn said. "Mom, Burt, I need to tell you that Rachel's pregnant..."

"Oh gosh," Carole said, shock in her voice. "Finn..."

"I'm so sorry..." Finn began. "Yes, this happened the night we broke the bed. We should have used protection... I'm so sorry..."

"Are you guys okay?" Carole asked.

"We're still shocked, to be honest," Finn admitted.

"Who else knows?" Burt asked.

"We told Matt and Helen, and they took us to the OBGYN," Finn said. "We haven't told anyone else. Since she's pregnant, it might look like we just went along to do campaign stuff..." At least that was how he hoped it had looked.

"What are you two going to do?" Carole asked.

"We don't know," Finn sighed. "Like I said, we're still processing it. We aren't sure what we'll be doing after the campaign... so..."

"Well, if you do decide to keep the baby, you know you'll have us and you'll have a place to stay with the baby," Carole said.

Finn felt so relieved to hear that. "Thank you so much..."

"Finn, what did you think we would do? Disown you?" Carole asked. "We're disappointed that this didn't happen after you got married, but we're not going to abandon you."

"Thank you," Finn repeated. After hanging up the phone, he went back downstairs, where other campaign staff were doing some more work. Maybe he could find Rachel and let her know his parents wren't too upset with them...

Rachel was nowhere to be found when Finn got downstairs. "Hey, where's Rachel?" Finn asked Josh.

"She went out with Helen to help her pick out maternity clothes," Josh said.

Finn knew what that probably meant. Rachel was getting clothes for herself, and she was probably making it seem like the clothes were Helen's so the press wouldn't catch on to it. "Okay. Do we have any new polls?" The best thing he could do was act as normal as possible.

"Yeah, want to look over them?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Let's try to figure out where to focus our attention."

x

"Thanks for doing this," Rachel said to Helen as they got back from maternity shopping. She and Helen had similar body types, so there was a chance of people thinking the clothes they'd bought were for Helen. Of course, she was shorter... but she would need maternity clothes eventually, so she might as well get them now while there was a chance to cover it up.

"Of course," Helen said. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as I can be, all things considered," Rachel said. "I really appreciate you doing this... it's at times like this that I really wish my mom was around." She knew Shelby, sure, but they were pretty distant from each other. She didn't want that for her child.

"You and Finn have done so much for Matt, of course we're going to help you out," Helen said. The car pulled up to the house - and Rachel knew what she had to do now. She had to call her parents.

Before Rachel went to call her parents, she went up to Finn, who was looking at some statistics. "Things are looking really good for us in Michigan and Maine," Finn said. He was smiling, something Rachel hadn't seen him do much in the past few days.

"That's great," Rachel said, giving Finn a hug.

"So, I heard you went shopping?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I've got some maternity clothes now for when it gets further along... but I was thinking I should call my parents now."

"I called my parents while you were out," Finn said. "They're disappointed it's so soon... but they're here for us."

"I just hope my parents act the same way," Rachel said. She wasn't so sure.

x

Rachel had dialed Hiram's number, then made the call a three-way to add on LeRoy, then a four-way to add on Shelby. She knew resentment existed between the three of them, but if she did it all at once, she would get it over with. In fact, everyone had sounded annoyed when Rachel said who else was on the phone. "I need to tell you guys something," Rachel said. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Hiram asked. "Rachel... what about your return to Broadway?"

Of course, the first thing to be brought up was Broadway. Rachel looked over at Finn, who also looked annoyed. "Well... I'm not sure what I'm going to do..."

"Rachel, did you not learn anything from me?" Shelby asked.

"Yeah, I did," Rachel said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I don't want my kid to grow up without a mother or be lied to about who their father is."

"Will you ever let that go?" Hiram asked.

"You lied to me for 22 years!" Rachel groaned.

"I'm not surprised about this," LeRoy said. "I should have known when I saw that picture of the broken bed. Ever since you joined this campaign..."

"Oh, stop blaming the campaign," Rachel said. "I get it, you love Russell and you hate Santos. For the record, the candidate you hate so much has been very supportive."

"He's not the one who's going to have to deal with all the expenses," LeRoy snapped.

"That's what you care about?" Rachel asked. "The expenses? Finn's parents were supportive, too."

"What's happened to you?" Hiram asked.

"What do you mean, what's happened to me?" Rachel asked. "I'm out in the world trying to figure out who I am instead of who my parents wanted me to be for 22 years."

"We're just upset," Shelby said. "You could have won a Tony if you'd stuck with Funny Girl and now you've gotten pregnant out of wedlock."

Rachel was tired of this. "I'm not going to keep letting you make me feel bad about something I already feel scared about. You know, I bet if my real dad knew about this, he'd be supportive." With that, she hung up the phone, texting Finn to come down and meet her in the basement.

Finn came downstairs and looked at Rachel. "Didn't go so well?"

"No," Rachel groaned. "Of course they started lecturing me about Broadway. They never asked if I was okay or what I was going to do."

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Finn said.

Rachel had to admit, it hurt. These were the men who'd raised her and the woman who'd given birth to her. She'd wanted them to offer to help her out and say they'd be there if she needed to talk. But they hadn't.

x

Finn and Rachel spent the rest of the day making phone calls to voters in the states with primaries coming up. It was a nice distraction, but Rachel's mind did go back to her pregnancy a few times. Her dads had been right - there would be lots of expenses. There would be lots of responsibilities, too. Could she do it?

Rachel looked at the other side of the bed, where Finn had fallen asleep. She got out her phone and called someone who she knew would get what she was going through now. Luckily, Quinn picked up the phone pretty quickly. "Hey Rachel."

"Hey Quinn," Rachel said. She decided to come out and say it. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Quinn asked. "Is it from that night in the broken bed?"

The broken bed wasn't going to be forgotten, apparently. "Yes."

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked. "Is Finn okay?"

"My parents made me feel bad," Rachel said. "Finn's parents are being supportive and so are the candidate and his wife. We haven't told anyone else yet."

"So I'm the first of our friends to know?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I figured, since you know what this is like..."

"Yeah," Quinn said. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't even know," Rachel admitted. "I know it would be a lot of work, but I don't like the idea of the baby going through what I went through, not knowing who gave birth to him or her..."

"Yeah," Quinn said. "Rachel, I miss Beth. I tried not to get attached to her, but when you have the baby in you for nine months, you do get attached."

"I already am attached," Rachel said. She thought about what Quinn was saying - she already was attached, and once a baby was given up for adoption, they were not your baby anymore. When she'd seen the ultrasound photo of Matt's baby this morning, she also knew she didn't want that for herself. But she was so scared.

"Your parents love you," Quinn said. "They'll probably come around. You've got Finn's parents supporting you and from what you've told me, you've got money from the campaign. If you want to keep the baby, I'm sure you can do it."

"I hope," Rachel said.

"You can always call me if you need to talk," Quinn said. "And maybe you're not ready yet, but I'm sure our friends from glee will be there for you when you're ready to tell them. They were great with me."

"Maybe I will tell them," Rachel said. She wasn't ready to tell more people yet. At the same time, she did want her friends to know before the media found out...

 _Chapter 17 preview: What will happen when the media finds out about one or more of the things revealed in this chapter? Will the Santos campaign still do well in the next primaries?_

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 17!_


	17. Chapter 17: The Santos Baby

_Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for all your support. I really appreciate it! I realized something - it was on this day four years ago that Finchel got engaged. God, why couldn't they have just gotten married and had a bunch of kids and lived happily ever after? :( Sorry for my ranting. Hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 17: The Santos Baby

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Finn said as he and Rachel sat in their hotel room in Maine.

"We should," Rachel said. "We should call and tell him. He's your brother and my best friend. This is going to be his niece or nephew."

"Yeah," Finn said.

Telling people was hard, but Finn and Rachel both knew they had to do it. The media was going to find out eventually. Rachel didn't want them to, but she knew they would. She and Finn were public figures working for one of the main campaigns for the Democratic nomination for president. They'd told the other campaign staff so they would know. Luckily, everyone had been supportive, some more so than others.

Kurt picked up his phone. "Hey!"

"Hey," Finn said. "I've got Rachel with me, and we have something that we need to tell you..."

"Okay, what's up?" Kurt asked.

Finn looked over at Rachel. Rachel knew that Finn was thinking what she knew - she needed to say it. "I'm pregnant. And yes, it's from broken bed night."

"Oh gosh," Kurt said. "Are you guys okay? Does the congressman know?"

"Yeah, he was the first one to find out," Rachel said. "He found my pregnancy tests..."

"Wow," Kurt said. "You're not very good at hiding them, are you?"

"I guess not," Rachel said.

"Seriously, are you guys okay?" Kurt asked.

"We're still adjusting to it, to be honest," Rachel admitted. "My parents lectured me..."

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Rachel," Kurt said.

"Yeah, luckily our parents were accepting," Finn said. "They said they'll help us if we need it."

"Anyone else know?" Kurt asked. "Besides me, our families and the congressman?"

"We did tell the other campaign staff, since they see us a lot," Rachel said. "And I told Quinn, since she's been through it. We just don't want too many people to know... yet." She was dreading the day that the media found out. She knew that the religious right was very opposed to premarital sex and she was sure Sue and Vinick would take a dig at her.

"I just hope the media isn't too hard on you," Kurt sighed.

"Me too," Rachel said. "Hopefully it'll pass quickly. I'm afraid, I'm not going to lie."

"Do you want me to tell our other friends in New York?" Kurt asked.

Rachel thought for a moment. "No. I don't want too many people to know just yet. I want as few people to know as possible right now... the fewer people know, the less likely it is that the media finds out, you know?"

"You think our friends would tell the media?" Kurt asked.

"Some of them are voting for Russell in the primaries or would be voting for Vinick in the fall anyway..." Finn began.

"Yeah, but we're your friends more importantly," Kurt said. "We wouldn't tell."

"Not just yet," Rachel said.

"Okay," Kurt said. "Well, if any of you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks bro," Finn said as he and Rachel hung up the phone.

x

Going door to door had helped Rachel and Finn take their minds off things. This had been one of the rare door to door outings where things had gone really well - nearly everyone they'd talked to had been a Santos voter. There had been a few Russell voters, but not a single Vinick voter. It was possible that they just happened to be in a liberal part of town, but it was nice nonetheless.

When Finn and Rachel got back to the hotel the campaign staff was staying at, Finn couldn't help but notice everyone looked a bit troubled. He went over to Josh. "What's going on?"

"I should show you and Rachel," Josh sighed. "Something's happened..."

That didn't sound good. "What's going on?" Rachel asked.

"The media found out, didn't they?" Finn asked. He didn't think it would be this soon, before Rachel was even showing...

"It's not about Rachel, don't worry," Josh said. He pulled up his computer as Rachel sighed with relief. "Another new ad from Vinick..."

"What did he say this time?" Finn asked.

"I'll show it to you, and then we can talk," Josh said. "I'll be honest, none of us know how to deal with this... and it may be a bit of a shock to you..." He hit the play button as the ad, entitled, "The Santos Baby," began. "Matt Santos. He thinks he's wholesome. He thinks he has good values. He wants you to think that, too. But he isn't, far from it."

The ultrasound photo appeared on screen. The ultrasound photo Matt had shown Finn and Rachel. Finn felt like his heart had stopped.

"Matt Santos keeps this in his drawer in his office in congress," the narrator of the ad continued. "Matt's children were born in 2007 and 2010. This photo is dated 1993. Who is the Santos baby born in 1993? Where is he or she? Did Matt have this baby aborted? And why doesn't he talk about this baby?"

Then Vinick showed up on the screen. "I'm Arnold Vinick and I approve this message."

"Holy shit," Finn gasped. How had the Vinick campaign even gotten the ultrasound photo? This was private information about something that had happened over 20 years ago. What Matt Santos had done in college had nothing to do with what type of president he'd be. As much as Finn didn't like this, he had a feeling that it would happen eventually. He didn't want people to think about it, but he had a feeling this would get out.

"I can't believe this is happening," Rachel said. "I feel like I'm going to throw up... this could destroy us."

"It could," Josh said. "It's really painful for him and that's why he doesn't talk about it. We didn't think that this would come out since it happened so long ago and not many people know about it... he thought maybe he should talk about it, but I told him not to because it would probably be too hard for him..."

"He told us when he found out about our baby," Rachel said softly. Finn could tell Rachel was upset that this had come out. He was too. And since Josh had agreed that it could destroy the campaign... things were definitely bad.

"He's upstairs, working on a statement," Josh said. "He's upset... I know you guys are upset, but we can't let him think that it's too bad..."

"If the photo was in his office... how did Vinick get it?" Rachel asked.

"Someone must have broken into his office," Josh said.

"We can't let Vinick get away with this!" Rachel said.

"Like I said, he's working on a statement," Josh said. "He considered saying something... I told him not to because it would be too hard for him... but now..."

"It is bad," Finn admitted. "Do you think we'll get around this?"

"Yeah, I do," Josh said. But he sounded less than confident.

When Josh was gone, Finn and Rachel looked at each other. "I can't believe this is happening," Rachel said.

"How would someone even manage to break into his office?" Finn asked. He was sure security at the Capitol was pretty high... but clearly not high enough.

x

"Today, something was brought to the public's attention that I should have brought to their attention earlier." Finn and Rachel listened to Matt's statement, their hearts beating a million miles a minute. "When I was a freshman in college, I was struggling to adjust to the college environment and dealing with the stress of an increased workload and expectations, homesickness and longing for my high school girlfriend who is now my wife, who I'd broken up with before we left. I began dating other girls in an attempt to fill the void in my life. One night, one of those girls and I forgot to use protection, resulting in the conception of what has now been dubbed 'The Santos Baby.'

I did not find out about said baby's conception until that summer, when I received a letter from the mother, informing me of what had happened and telling me she would be giving the baby up for adoption and that the adoption would be closed. This upset me and I wanted to keep the baby, but I knew that at nineteen, I couldn't have given that baby what he or she needed.

It was wrong of me to not talk about the baby earlier and I accept any and all consequences for my failure to disclose this information. This is an extremely difficult topic for me to talk about, which is why I have not talked about it. Every day, I go through life looking for the baby's face, wondering what he or she is doing, longing for him or her. It's very hard knowing that the baby I helped conceive is considering another man his or her father and likely doesn't even know about me. I hope that he or she is happy and healthy and successful, but that doesn't mean I don't miss the baby and want to be there for the milestones and for him or her to meet their little brother and sister. Unless you yourself have been through it, I don't think you can fully understand what it's like. I'm not defending my failure to disclose this information, I'm simply explaining it.

"However, this is a personal matter and has nothing to do with what type of president I'd be. It doesn't change the fact that I have a plan to create millions of jobs outlined on my website and am preparing a bill to make health care accessible to everyone. It doesn't get rid of my outline for better education and the work I'm already doing to improve our relations abroad. I understand that this reveal might change some people's opinions of me and I admit that I was wrong for not revealing it earlier. But I hope you will keep everything I just said in mind when you go to the polls on Tuesday. Thank you."

"Do you think people will listen to him?" Rachel asked Finn.

"I hope so," Finn said. "This shouldn't be part of this... but when you're running for president, everything is part of it."

"Do you think it'll hurt the campaign when the media finds out about our baby?" Rachel asked.

"I hope not," Finn said. "Since we're just staff members, it shouldn't too much."

"The next primaries are in three days and I'm terrified," Rachel said.

"The inbox is flooded with e-mails from people born in 1993 claiming to be the Santos baby," Finn groaned.

"Are you serious?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Maybe we should draft up a response, telling these people they'll need to submit a DNA test..."

"Let's talk to him first about what to do about those e-mails," Rachel said.

x

"Matt Santos is irresponsible," Coach Sylvester was saying on TV as Finn and Rachel watched in their hotel room in Kansas. "Forgetting to put on protection when having sex with his college girlfriend shows that he might forget to bring a bill to congress..."

"No one is more irresponsible than Coach Sylvester," Finn snapped. "She has no right to talk."

"I know," Rachel sighed. She didn't want to sound too paranoid, but the crowd at today's rally had seemed smaller, and they'd gotten significantly less donations than their previous daily average.

"He's a bit of a manwhore," Coach Sylvester continued. "This may not be the only baby he had with girls in college. There could be hundreds of Baby Santoses running around. But since he didn't talk about this one until the ultrasound photo was found, who's to say he'll reveal if there's more?"

"This is ridiculous," Finn said, turning off the TV. "She's insane. What have your dads had to say about this?"

"I haven't spoken to them since I told them I was pregnant," Rachel admitted. She did feel bad... maybe she'd taken things too far. But they could have been supportive.

"Well, they could have been more supportive," Finn said. "You'd think they'd offer to help you out..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Have you been thinking at all about what you want to do?"

"I do want to keep it," Finn said. "I want our baby to know his or her parents... between my dad dying and the whole mess with your parentage... I don't want our baby to go through that."

"Me either," Rachel said. "But I keep thinking... I don't know what we'll be doing after the campaign... what our jobs will be, where we'll be living... I want us and our baby to be a family so badly..."

"My mom and Burt said we could stay with them if we need to," Finn said. "If nothing else, I'm sure I could get a job at the tire shop..."

"You know, if he wins, maybe we'll get jobs in the administration," Rachel said. She might be overly optimistic, especially with what was going on... but she could hope.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Finn admitted. "I just didn't want to be the one to say it. I do want to finish my degree after this, but maybe we could get part time jobs and then move up to full time after we graduate."

"I'd like that," Rachel said. The campaign was suffering a setback now... but they'd come back from the eating disorder debacle, they could come back from this. Right?

x

Today's campaign event had been a disaster.

The campaign had gone to New Orleans for a rally and halfway through the speech, people in the crowd had began calling out things about the baby, calling the candidate a manwhore and a liar, accusing him of having an abortion or abandoning the mother of the baby... Finn and Rachel had thought he was handling it as well as he could have, but it was upsetting nonetheless. This would undoubtedly come up in the debate next week - the debate the night before of some more primaries, including Ohio...

As Finn and Rachel made their way through the crowd handing out signs, Rachel noticed that the heckling was coming from a group of college kids. She pointed at them with Finn, then walked over to them. "Do you guys have any idea how stupid you're looking by doing this on national TV?" Rachel asked. "Get out of here."

"Please! You two are whores yourselves!" one of the boys snapped.

"Because we broke a bed?" Finn asked.

"No, because of what resulted from that night," another boy said.

"What?" Rachel asked. Had the media found out?

"Oh, please," a girl said. "Like candidate, like staffers. You're pregnant!"

The media knew. Rachel didn't know what to say. She looked over at Finn, who looked equally shocked. How had the media found out?

"You two have fun being whores with your candidate the whore," another girl said. "Of course, I bet you'll just get an abortion..."

A secret service agent came over. "What the hell is going on here?" He looked at the group of college kids. "Get out of here, now."

Rachel felt ready to cry, but she couldn't in front of these hecklers. She ran backstage, Finn running after her. She knew the media would find out eventually, but this wasn't how she expected to find out that the media knew. She expected to see something online or have another staff member tell her and Finn...

How had the media found out? Had she been seen maternity shopping? She hadn't tried on any of the clothes. She knew her size, the point of the maternity shopping trip was to make it seem like the clothes were for Helen. But had the store employees suspected something or said something? Had someone at the hospital leaked something to the media?

Backstage, Rachel sat down, not wanting to believe what was happening. Finn sat next to her, putting his arm around her. "Well, it's out..."

"Yeah," Rachel sighed. "Two baby scandals in one week..."

"I hope the media won't focus too much on this," Finn said. "These are private matters."

"How do you think the media found out about our baby?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know," Finn sighed. He got out his ipod. "Let's see if we can figure this out..." He went to google and typed in "Rachel Berry Santos campaign," only to find the entire page full of stories revealing Rachel's pregnancy. He clicked on the first one as Rachel read it over Finn's shoulder.

"It's one baby scandal after another! Days after it was revealed that Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos had a baby with an unknown college girlfriend, sources are confirming that Santos campaign aide Rachel Berry is pregnant. The father of the baby is fellow Santos campaign aide Finn Hudson..."

"Sources are confirming it, huh?" Finn asked. "I thought the people we told could be trusted..."

"Me too," Rachel said. "The conservatives are going to have a field day with this. You know the religious right considers sex before marriage the ultimate sin..."

"Yeah," Finn said. "We should tell Matt after his speech that the media knows..."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. She leaned over and gave Finn a hug, not sure how to deal with all of this.

x

Finn wanted to be optimistic about this week's primaries, but with all the talk about the baby from 1993 and now having Rachel's pregnancy revealed, it was hard to be. Tomorrow they'd be heading up to Michigan and the primaries would be the next day. Maybe they could come back in time for the next week's primaries...

Finn's phone had kept vibrating from calls from family members and friends, but he wasn't ready to talk about what had gotten out. He wanted the press to leave Rachel alone. He wanted to see e-mails from people who did things other than slut shame Matt Santos and claim to be The Santos Baby.

Finn had to think - had Sue or Vinick broke into the congressional office and gotten the ultrasound photo? Had Sue or Vinick somehow found out about Rachel's pregnancy? He had no idea how these things had gotten out... he thought even in politics, there would be some privacy...

x

Finn and Rachel sat in their hotel room, still processing the fact that the media had found out about Rachel's pregnancy. They'd asked Josh for the rest of the day off, unsure if they'd be productive. Neither Finn nor Rachel was saying much of anything as they sat in their hotel room. The best they could hope for was that this would pass, but they knew for now, there were plenty of discussions all over the internet calling them irresponsible and slutty.

"I'm really sorry, Finn," Rachel said after a few moments of silence.

"You don't need to apologize," Finn said.

"Do you think that the campaign will get past this?" Rachel asked.

"We've gotten past setbacks before," Finn said. "So I hope so." He wrapped his arms around Rachel, hoping this would pass soon. Before he could say anything else, his phone rang. He'd been getting calls all day, but he figured he might as well answer it. "It's Santana," Finn said.

"We might as well tell them," Rachel said. "That is, I hope they don't know yet..."

Finn picked up the phone, hoping that their friends weren't calling because they found out from the media. "Hello?"

"Hey," Santana said. "I've got lots of our other friends with me..."

"Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?" Sam asked. "We found out from seeing something on Twitter..."

"We weren't ready to tell people yet," Rachel admitted.

"Well, you clearly told someone," Mercedes said. "The media wouldn't have found out if you hadn't."

"We're supposed to be your friends, and you didn't tell us the most important news of your life?" Artie asked.

"We were going to tell you, we needed time for it to sink in," Finn said. "We just didn't think the media would find out so soon. We wanted you to know before the media found out."

"Well, who did you tell?" Sam asked.

"We told our families and we told the campaign staff," Rachel said. "I also told Quinn because she's been through this."

"So you told your friends on the campaign who you've only known a few months, but you can't tell us, who you've known for years?" Santana asked. "And we've been there for you two through a lot..."

Finn realized Santana had a point. It probably stung that they'd told people they were just meeting before telling them. But it also hurt that their friends seemed mad at them. "You see how the media gets. The more people we told, the more likely it would be that the media would find out sooner rather than later... there were people at the rally today screaming at the congressman calling him a manwhore. Do you think we want that?" Rachel asked.

"You're saying you think we'd tell the media?" Tina asked. "Is that what type of friends you think we are?"

"Of course not," Rachel said. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you guys..."

"We're not good enough for you anymore, I get it," Tina snapped. "It all started with when Rachel cut off communication with us after that TV show. And all you guys post on your social media accounts nowadays are photos of all the places you're going with the campaign and selfies with all the big names you meet on the trail. Hell, the first thing Rachel posted when she came back to Instagram was a selfie of you two with Matt Santos with the caption 'me, Finn and the next president of the United States!'"

"Tina, don't do that," Blaine said. "It's a tough situation... I wish they'd told us but they said they weren't ready."

"Yeah, they didn't expect the media to find out so soon, you heard them," Artie said.

"And you know how busy they are," Sam added. "But every time the campaign comes to New York, they come to see us."

Finn felt a little better now, but he still felt bad. "Yeah, you guys will always be our closest friends. That's never going to change."

"Of course you're still good enough for us!" Rachel said before she and Finn heard a knock at the door.

"Finn, Rachel, can the congressman and I come in?" Finn heard Josh calling.

This probably wasn't the ideal time for the congressman to come in. Not after their friends had expressed their hurt over the campaign staff knowing before they did and from finding out because the news had gotten out. Still, they couldn't really say no to their boss. Not at a time like this.

"We've got to go," Rachel said. "We'll call again later."

"Okay, we'll see," Brittany said before the call was disconnected.

Finn and Rachel exchanged an upset look before Finn looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, come on in." They expected to be scrutinized by the media, but they didn't expect their friends to be mad at them. Even at the end of the conversation, things had felt tense.

Josh and Matt came into the room. "I didn't get to see you guys after the rally, so I wanted to check up on you," Matt said. "I'd ask if you were okay, but I'm definitely not okay, so you probably aren't either."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "This shouldn't be part of this."

"It really shouldn't," Matt agreed.

"Hecklers at the rally, e-mails calling Matt a manwhore, getting significantly less money per day than before this broke... and now the press finds out about Rachel's pregnancy," Finn sighed. "It's all upsetting."

"We're going to try to find out who told the media about Rachel," Matt said before turning to Josh. "Have the communications department contact every major media outlet and tell them that anyone talking about Rachel is no longer going to receive cooperation from the campaign."

"That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Rachel asked.

Finn didn't think it was. Matt didn't seem to either. "It's one thing for people to go after me. But you're not running for anything. They shouldn't be going after you. I'm really sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Finn said. "It's the fault of the asshole who leaked it." He wasn't a violent person, but he just wished he could beat up the people who were behind all this.

x

Today was the day of the primaries and Rachel had never been more nervous for results to come in.

She and Finn had spent the day inside rather than going door to door. As much as she enjoyed talking to the voters and performing at rallies, she wanted to keep a low profile for a little while. The candidate had released a statement saying that his staff was off limits. Rachel didn't know how much that would help, but she hoped it would.

She couldn't help but wonder - who had leaked the information that she was pregnant? Who had broken into the congressional office and gotten the ultrasound photo?

The results began coming in. Louisiana went to Russell. Kansas went to Russell. Mississippi went to Russell. Maine was called as a Santos victory, but it was small... Nebraska was called for Russell. Then came the call of the biggest state of the night, Michigan, for Russell.

Rachel glanced over at Finn. They'd hoped this wouldn't impact the campaign, but it was. And a situation that was bad had just gotten worse.

 _Chapter 18 preview: It is revealed who broke into the congressional office and who leaked the news about Rachel's pregnancy. Finchel make their first public appearance since the news broke for the Ohio primary. And can they fix things with their friends?_

 _15 reviews unlock Chapter 18!_


	18. Chapter 18: Leaks

_Hey! First of all, I hope my readers from the south and the east coast are staying safe and warm! Second of all, thanks for all your reviews on the last chapter! I know the real primary season is just about to start, but the primary season is winding down here and we'll find out who the nominee will be soon. Thanks again for all your support and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 18: Leaks

After the disastrous post-Super Tuesday primaries, some time out of the public eye had been good for Finn and Rachel and helped them to feel better. They didn't perform at the rallies, instead opting to get some campaign literature together, make phone calls and make arrangements for upcoming events. Luckily, the gossip about them seemed to have cooled down - but the gossip about the candidate himself hadn't. They were still constantly deleting comments off the website saying that Matt was a manwhore, irresponsible, that he didn't love that child, accusing him of having an abortion or leaving the mother... sometimes there were comments calling Finn and Rachel trashy and whorey as well.

Of course, there was another debate tonight. Since debates were one of Matt's strengths, Finn and Rachel hoped tonight would help things out. So far, he was doing well, probably his best performance in a debate so far. But then a question about pre-marital sex, abortion and contraception came. Finn and Rachel both knew why this question was part of the debate. They sat back to listen to Russell's answer, hoping that he wouldn't say things like Vinick was constantly saying.

"Let me say, the constant media coverage and internet gossip about the baby Matt Santos gave up all those years ago and about his aide are completely unacceptable. People's private lives are off limits. And people not running for office themselves are off limits." He turned to Matt. "I'm very sorry about what's going on, and we will not tolerate any of that here. It has nothing to do with any political issues and should not be getting talked about. It's a private matter. I've made sure my entire staff knows that anyone talking about either of those things publicly will be fired. Regardless of the fact that we are competing against each other for the nomination, you and I are both members of the Democratic party. That is stronger than the competition for the nomination. I have your back in this."

"Well, thank you," Matt said.

"I don't know if he said that to make himself look good or because he really cares," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"Me either," Rachel whispered back. She was glad she wasn't the only one. She looked around the debate hall, and sure enough, there was LeRoy. "My dad's here AGAIN, Finn!"

"What the hell?" Finn asked. "Is he following Russell around the country or something?"

Then something came to Rachel's mind. LeRoy and Russell clearly knew each other well enough for LeRoy to be invited to the debates. Had LeRoy leaked Rachel's pregnancy to Russell to leak to the media? She knew how much LeRoy liked Russell...

"What's on your mind?" Finn asked Rachel.

"Do you think my dad leaked it?" Rachel asked. "The tabloids didn't say where it was coming from, only that sources were confirming it..."

"I hope not," Finn said. "Let's hope his candidate is being honest when he says this is off limits."

"If Russell was being honest, what he said was nice," Rachel said. "But why is he saying this publicly at a debate? Why didn't he just call up our campaign and say it on the phone when it first broke? This just smells of trying to win brownie points."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I want to believe that he really feels that way... but I don't know. Josh did tell us that even when Bartlet picked Russell for Vice President, it wasn't because he thought Russell would be good. It was because the Republican speaker gave him a list of names that congress would be willing to approve."

"People are mostly voting for him because he was Bartlet's VP," Rachel groaned. Hopefully they would come back in time for the next step of primaries, including this week's primaries in Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Wyoming. Right?

Idaho and Wyoming were both very conservative, so whoever won there wouldn't really make a difference. They'd seen that things would be very close in Missouri by looking at the records of the door to door, but at least they'd heard there was a decent crowd at the rally. The rally earlier today had a pretty good crowd in North Carolina and there had been people in Santos shirts at the debate here at UNC Chapel Hill...

Rachel looked down at her stomach. Soon she was going to be showing. The public already knew, and while for now the talk about her and Finn had gone down, it would probably happen again once she started showing.

"Hey, he's doing well," Finn whispered.

"Yeah," Rachel whispered back.

The debate finished, and Finn and Rachel went to the vending machine to get snacks before going to join the campaign. As Rachel and Finn started heading backstage, LeRoy came over. Rachel wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. "Since when are you blonde?" LeRoy asked.

Rachel had forgotten. When she'd gone maternity shopping, Helen had taken her to the spa for a massage to help her relax. While Rachel was there, she'd put light brown highlights in her hair. She would hardly consider herself blonde now though. "I don't think I'm blonde," Rachel said.

"Seriously, Mr. Berry, she's going through enough," Finn said.

"That campaign... it's ruining you," LeRoy said.

Rachel finally got the courage to ask her father the question she'd been wondering. "Did you leak the news to Russell?"

"What?" LeRoy asked.

"I know you two have become pretty good friends," Rachel said. "Please just answer this honestly: did you tell him about my pregnancy?"

"Is that what you think of me?" LeRoy asked Rachel. "You saw how he stood up for you and your guy out there, something I wouldn't have done."

"So you're saying you didn't give him the information?" Finn repeated.

"No, I didn't," LeRoy snapped. "Will you two stop it?"

"Yeah, maybe we should get back to work, Finn," Rachel said. "We are going to Ohio tomorrow..."

"Do you think he gave the information?" Finn whispered to Rachel as they walked to the meeting room.

"I don't know," Rachel sighed. "I hope he didn't, but I'm not sure."

When Finn and Rachel got to the room, a few of their coworkers came over to them. "We found out who leaked the information about Rachel's pregnancy," Josh said.

"I REALLY hope it wasn't my dad," Rachel groaned.

"It wasn't your dad," Anna said. "But we're going to need to be more careful with who we hire in the future... we'll need to do more intense background checks and stuff..."

Rachel finally figured it out. "What? Are you saying it was someone from the campaign?"

"Yeah," Bram said. "It was Bruno..."

"Bruno..." Rachel began. She didn't know Bruno very well, but she knew that he had worked for Democrats and Republicans in the past. She should have figured it out sooner. Bruno was probably loyal to the campaign in the first place.

And if there had been one spy on the campaign, who was to say there weren't more?

"I hope you guys know, I fired him right away, and I'll tell Matt as soon as he gets back from the press conference," Josh said. "Everyone's going to get another background check done to ensure something like this doesn't happen again..."

"We shouldn't have hired him, he worked on Vinick's initial campaign," Ronna said. "But he told us he'd changed his mind..."

"When we told him, he didn't seem to be too sympathetic, but I didn't think this would happen," Finn said.

"I'm so sorry," Bram said. "Josh fired him as soon as we found out it was him."

"How did you even find out?" Finn asked.

"When we contacted the tabloid that leaked the news about Rachel, we asked them who told them after tearing them a new one," Josh said. "We then did some investigation of his phone records..."

"What an ass," Rachel groaned.

"I hope you know how sorry we are, and we'll make sure something like this never happens on this campaign again," Anna said.

"He's only going to be hailed as a hero by the Republicans," Rachel groaned.

"Well, other than Vinick, I doubt many people will hire him after this," Ronna said.

"I thought that people working on a presidential campaign could be trusted," Rachel sighed. Her background check had been pretty intense. The security was high...

"We were pretty angry when we found out," Donna said. "We worked with him with Bartlet and we thought he could be trusted..."

"Remember, no one talking about your pregnancy is going to receive any cooperation from the campaign," Bram reminded Finn and Rachel.

"I know," Rachel sighed.

"If we can believe him, even Bingo Bob himself doesn't think this should be getting press coverage," Josh said.

"We can hope," Finn said. Looking at her boyfriend, Rachel could tell Finn was just as disgusted as she was that someone from within had leaked the information. At the same time, she did feel some relief that it wasn't either of her dads.

"What about the ultrasound photo?" Rachel asked.

"We're still waiting to find out who leaked that," Josh said.

x

Finn felt a mixture of relief and anger upon finding out who had leaked the information about Rachel's pregnancy. He was angry that someone that the campaign thought they could trust had leaked it, but at the same time, he was glad it wasn't someone he and Rachel were close to.

Of course, the question remained - who had broken into Matt's congressional office and leaked the ultrasound photo?

The campaign had arrived in Ohio. Finn and Rachel would be making an appearance at tonight's rally at Toledo, but right now, they were meeting up with Burt and Carole for breakfast. It was nice for Finn to see his family again.

As Finn, Rachel, Burt, Carole and Matt were finishing up breakfast, Finn heard a voice at their table. "Hey."

Finn looked up and saw Brent Caulfield, a Republican friend of Burt's from congress, standing over their table. Finn was surprised to see him here - this was pretty far away from his home district in Virginia.

"Hey," Burt said. "What brings you to Ohio?"

"We're just visiting my sister-in-law," Brent said. "She lives in Toledo, and I heard you guys were in Toledo... I was going to call Matt, but I heard you guys are here."

"You remember my son Finn?" Burt asked. "And this is Rachel, Finn's girlfriend. They're both working on Matt's presidential campaign."

"Yeah, I remember," Brent said. "Matt, can we talk alone for a few minutes?"

"After we're done here for breakfast, sure," Matt said.

"I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry about what's been going on with the things with the baby," Brent said. "I know that's a tough subject for you..."

"Well, we all know the president's an asshole," Finn said. "I'm sure he's the one who broke into Matt's office..."

"It wasn't him," Brent said.

"What makes you think that?" Rachel asked. "The president isn't a good person, even as a Republican, you have to recognize that..."

"Matt, we need to talk alone," Brent repeated.

"I told you, we can after we leave the restaurant," Matt said.

"You know, you've been his friend for years," Finn said. "We're not going to hold it against you that his office was broken into, and we're sure it was the president..."

The next words spoken shocked Finn, Rachel, Burt and Matt. "I did it," Brent said.

Finn couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He knew that Brent had been one of Burt's best friends from congress from the beginning. And he'd gone to school with Matt and they'd been friends since they were kids. But he'd leaked the ultrasound photo?

"What?" Matt asked, looking shocked, angry and hurt all at once.

"I'm sorry," Brent said. "I didn't think things would get this bad..."

Finn couldn't stay silent any longer. "What do you mean, you didn't think things would get this bad? This is a presidential campaign, and we all know what type of man the president is..."

"Don't blame this on the president, he's a good guy," Brent protested.

"A good guy?" Rachel asked. "Do you have any idea what he's put our campaign through? What YOU have put the campaign through by giving that photo?"

"Well, like I said, I didn't think it would get this bad," Brent repeated. "I thought it would maybe just get talked about and then go away. I didn't think that people would be this nasty."

"But why did you do it?" Matt asked. "You and I have been friends since we were kids. You were the best man in my wedding..."

"It doesn't change the fact that you're a Democrat and I'm a Republican, I'm still not going to vote for you," Brent said. "But I've always been your best friend and I'm always going to be your best friend."

"No, you're not," Matt said, looking more and more angry. "If you really were my best friend, you wouldn't have done this. This is a very private issue, something that's very hard for me to talk about, and now I'm not only being asked about it constantly, but being slut shamed and mocked."

"I didn't think things would get this bad," Brent protested. "I'm a Republican. The president needs to win re-election and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he does."

"Including stabbing your supposed best friend in the back?" Finn asked. "It would have been one thing to talk about issues and how you disagree with him there, but this is taking things way too far."

"I drove you home in the middle of a vote when you got the call that father died so you wouldn't have to drive home alone," Matt said. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Of course it does," Brent said. "Look Matt, I'm sorry..."

"Give me that spare key," Matt said. "I thought I could trust you with a spare key to my office. I was wrong."

"This doesn't change the fact that you're my best friend," Brent repeated.

"You are NOT my best friend," Matt said. "I thought you were, but I was wrong. You're not even my friend. A friend would not have done what you did to me."

"So you think we can't be friends anymore because you're a Democrat and I'm a Republican, huh?" Brent asked. "Shows what type of friend you are."

"Do not blame this on him," Burt said. "You broke into his office and gave the ultrasound photo to the president. You know how hard it is to talk about that and how painful it is for him to know that his child isn't in his life."

"You've said your piece," Matt said. "Please just go away. I don't want to see and hear from you anymore, knowing our friendship was one big lie."

"Yeah, want to know something that was a lie?" Brent asked. "When you and Helen won prom king and queen. You were so mopey about not getting into Harvard, so John and I stuffed the ballot box so you two would win to make you feel better."

"Get out of here," Matt repeated. "You showed me how little our 'friendship' means to yo when you gave that photo to the president. I'll be civil to you at congress sessions since that is our job, but I do not want any more phone calls or to spend extra time with you."

"Fuck you," Brent said as he started to leave. "Russell's going to run over your ass in the primaries and then Vinick's going to clean the clock with him in the fall."

Neither Finn nor Rachel knew what to say to this. Finn had dreaded that it was someone close to him and Rachel who had leaked the information about Rachel's pregnancy, but it turned out not to be. However, this was a reminder that this could happen - and that it did happen. He looked over at Burt. "In the years that you guys have known him, do you think you would have seen this coming?"

"No way," Burt said. "I thought it was the president too, or that he'd sent someone."

Finn looked at Matt. "I'd ask if you were okay, but okay might be too much to hope for."

"I will be," Matt said. "I'm just shocked."

"You two deserve better friends than him," Rachel said.

"I should give the capitol security a call," Matt said. "It might be time to change the locks at the congressional office."

"That sounds good," Burt agreed.

x

Rachel had to admit, she was nervous to perform at tonight's rally. With the reveal of her pregnancy to the general public, she feared how people might react, but the Santos supporters she'd met throughout the campaign had all been nice and seemed like an overall good group of people. This week had been tough for the campaign, between the losses last week and finding out that people they thought could be trusted had been the leaks. But there were still more primaries coming up and they had to stay focused.

The crowd was cheering as Finn and Rachel stepped on the stage, waving "Matt Santos for President" signs. "Hello, Ohio," Finn said. "How's everyone doing tonight?"

The crowd cheered. At least they were happy to be here.

"It's been a rough week for the Santos campaign, as I'm sure you all know," Rachel said, trying to think of the right things to say. "But everyone suffers setbacks. When Matt's president, he's going to suffer setbacks as well. But it's not about our setbacks. It's about how we come back from them. Last night, Matt proved in the debate that despite everything that's happened over the past week, he's still going to be a great president. He still has great plans for this country."

"Last week we had some disappointing results in the primaries," Finn said. "But Ohio, we're counting on you this week for a better week. We may have had a bad week last week, but this isn't over." With that, the music for the song Finn and Rachel had picked out for tonight began. Finn had told Rachel that this was the song he'd had the glee club sing after they lost Sectionals, and they agreed it was fitting for tonight.

 _Finn: There is freedom within_

 _There is freedom without_

 _Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup_

 _There's a battle ahead_

 _Many battles are lost_

 _But you'll never see the end of the road_

 _While you're traveling with me_

 _Hey now, hey now_

 _Finn and Rachel: Don't dream it's over_

 _Finn: Hey now, hey now_

 _Finn and Rachel: When the world comes in_

 _They come_

 _They come to build a wall between us_

 _We know they won't win_

As Finn and Rachel finished the first chorus, they saw some familiar faces making their way to the front of the crowd, joining in the song. Rachel looked over at Finn, smiling at him. It was good to know that despite their argument last week, their friends still had their backs.

 _Blaine and Tina: Now I'm towing my car_

 _There's a hole in the roof_

 _My possessions are causing me suspicion_

 _But there's no proof_

 _Brittany and Sam: In the paper today_

 _Tales of war and of waste_

 _But you turn right over to the TV page_

 _New Directions alumni: Hey now, hey now_

 _Don't dream it's over_

 _Hey now, hey now_

 _When the world comes in_

 _They come, they come_

 _To build a wall between us_

 _We know they won't win_

 _Ahhhhh, ahhhh, ahh, ah (Rachel: Ooo, yeah) (Finn: Hey now, hey now)_

 _Ahhhhh, ahhhh, ahh, ah (Finn: Don't dream it's over)_

 _Ahhhhh, ahhhh, ahh, ah (Rachel: Don't dream 'til it's over)_

 _Ahhhhh, ahhhh, ahh, ah (Finn: Yeah!) (Rachel: Oh, whoa)_

 _Finn: Now I'm walking again,_

 _To the beat of a drum_

 _Finn and Rachel: And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart_

 _Blaine and Tina: Only shadows ahead (New Directions: Ahhhh, ahhh, ahh, ah)_

 _Barely clearing the roof_

 _Get to know the feeling of liberation and release  
Ahhhh!_

 _(Marley: Oh, whoa, whoa!) Hey now, hey now_

 _Don't dream it's over (Marley: Yeah, yeah, yeah!)_

 _Hey now, hey now_

 _When the world comes in_

 _They come, they come (Marley: Ahhhh, ahhh, ahh, ah)_

 _To build a wall between us_

 _Finn: We know they won't win_

 _No, they won't win, no_

 _New Directions: Hey now, hey now_

 _Don't dream it's over (Mercedes: Don't let them win)_

 _Hey now, hey now_

 _When the world comes in (Mercedes: When the world comes in)_

 _They come, they come_

 _To build a wall between us_

 _Rachel: Hey now, hey now!_

 _Finn: Don't let them win_

 _New Directions: Hey now, hey now (Rachel: Oh yeah!)_

 _Don't dream it's over (Blaine and Finn: Don't let them win)_

 _Hey now, hey now (Rachel: Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh, yeah)_

 _Don't dream it's over_

 _Hey now, hey now_

 _Don't dream it's over_

At the end of the song, some local politicians took the stage to speak while Finn and Rachel went to go chat with their friends. "I'm so glad you guys are here," Finn said.

"After what happened, we had to make a trip to Ohio to support you guys," Kurt said.

"We were worried you'd think that the leak came from one of us," Santana added.

"Well, it came from a mole on the campaign," Rachel said. "Luckily, he's been fired."

"He deserves to be fired," Artie said. "And I'm really sorry about last week..."

"Hey, it's okay," Rachel said. "You guys are our friends. We would have told you... we just didn't expect things to get out so soon."

"How are you guys holding up?" Sam asked. "How's the campaign holding up?"

"We're holding up," Finn admitted. "I guess the big test is going to be when the results come in. Plus, his supposed best friend leaked the ultrasound photo..."

"That's messed up," Blaine said.

"Yeah, with everything, I feel like we need good results tomorrow," Rachel admitted.

"All of us have our parents voting Santos," Mercedes said. "When it comes time for the New York primary, you know we'll vote Santos, too."

"How's it going with convincing our other friends to vote Santos?" Finn asked.

"Well, we already convinced Marley," Artie said. "I think I'm close to convincing Kitty and we're working on everyone else."

"We've also gotten involved at the local Santos campaign office to make phone calls," Kurt said.

"That's great," Rachel said. "Everything counts."

"And we make sure everyone there knows you're our friends," Blaine added.

x

Tonight was going to be telling.

Last night's rally in Chicago had probably been the biggest, most enthusiastic crowd so far, but when the results come in, that would really tell if the campaign had come back. Finn and Rachel had taken today off to go to baseball's opening day that Rachel had gotten Finn tickets for to see the Cubs beat the Mets 15 to nothing. Rachel kept commenting on how hot the baseball players were, and Finn had a feeling that was just to bug him. Still, he was thrilled to finally get to go to an opening day. Rachel had been spoiling him lately with gifts, though the best gift was being together again.

When the polls were closed, Idaho and Wyoming were immediately called for Russell, but neither of those would go to either of them in the general anyway. Then Missouri was called for Russell, and Finn gulped. Finally, Ohio was called as a Santos victory, and Finn sighed with relief. His home state had done things right. North Carolina was called for Russell, but Illinois was called for Santos. Even though Russell had won more states, they had the two big states of today.

This was a big improvement over last week, but there was still room for a comeback. "I still have faith," Rachel said to Finn. "And hey, our home state is ours."

"Yeah," Finn said. "We're getting the Democratic states, so I think that says something."

"Me too," Rachel said.

 _Chapter 19 preview: I'll give you the chapter's title: Eggs. Finchel also find out some news about their pregnancy._


	19. Chapter 19: Eggs

_Wow, I suck. I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, guys. I hope this is worth the wait. I wanted to address a message I got about this story: while I am portraying the president as the antagonist of the story, I am not meaning to apply that all conservatives are horrible people. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 19: Eggs

"The doctor should be here soon," Rachel said to Finn. Rather than going to a hospital, the campaign had arranged for a doctor to come to the hotel to check up on Finn and Rachel's baby. Right now, the campaign was Idaho. When they got to Hawaii tomorrow, they'd have officially been to all 50 states. Rachel couldn't believe it.

"Yeah," Finn said. "I don't know we even bothered coming up here... they wouldn't vote for us in the general..."

"If nothing else, we could get votes here for the primaries, and it means that after tomorrow, we'll have been to all 50 states," Rachel said.

"It'll be crazy," Finn said. "Do you think we have a good chance at this week's states?"

"I do," Rachel said. "Well, Idaho and Utah won't go to us in the general anyway... but if we win Arizona, Hawaii and Washington this week, it could look good for the general."

"How's the baby doing?" Finn asked.

"I'm feeling fine," Rachel said. "Don't worry, I'm not going to go on bedrest. I'm here for the long haul." She was worried Finn might want her to take some breaks, but she didn't want to. She and Finn had really enjoyed themselves yesterday in Idaho - despite the fact that it was a very conservative state, they'd gotten a big group of young people together to stuff envelopes, many of whom were voting for the first time.

"Isn't it my job to worry about you?" Finn asked.

"I guess you could say that," Rachel said.

"Do you think you'll be able to work things out with your parents?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rachel sighed. "We haven't spoken since I told them I was pregnant."

"I'm sorry," Finn said.

"Do you think there's hope?" Rachel asked. She honestly wasn't sure. Her parents had seemed pretty angry at her when they found out that she was pregnant. She had a tense relationship with Shelby as it was and her relationships with her dads, especially LeRoy, had been strained since they'd divorced. And of course, she had no idea who her biological father was, and he likely had no idea who she was.

"I hope so," Finn said.

"I know I'll support our baby, no mater what he or she ends up doing or being like," Rachel said.

Finn smiled. "Me too."

"You're lucky your parents are supportive," Rachel sighed.

"Hey, you know they'll let you, me and the baby move in," Finn said. "And they'll both be willing to help us."

"Good," Rachel said. "Though I am hanging on to hope that we'll get jobs in the Santos administration after this is over."

"Me too," Finn said. "Don't forget, my parents have a condo in DC that we could live at if that ends up happening."

Rachel heard a knock on the door. The doctor must have been here. "Come in," Rachel called."

The doctor came in with some equipment. "You're Rachel and Finn?"

"Yeah, thanks for doing this," Rachel told the doctor. "After what happened when the media first found out I was pregnant... we thought it would be better to keep things as quiet as possible." She cringed. "I really don't want any more blog posts about what a whore I am for getting pregnant when I'm unmarried."

"I wouldn't want that either," the doctor said, setting up the equipment. "So, have you two thought about what you'll do after the baby arrives? You're both pretty young..."

"We want to keep it," Finn said. "But like you said, we are young, we don't know what jobs we'll have after the campaign's over..."

"Are your families helping you out?" the doctor asked.

"Well... my parents are," Finn said. "Hers... we're still waiting for them to come around."

"How's the money you make from the campaign?" the doctor asked.

"It's good, for a job for people our age especially," Finn said.

The doctor had finished setting up. "If you guys are ready..."

Rachel got on the bed as the doctor put gel on her stomach. She held Finn's hand as the doctor began waving the wand over her stomach. "So, looking at your records, you're due in November?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said.

The doctor continued moving the want over Rachel's stomach and then paused. "Is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Um, yeah," the doctor said, looking more carefully at the screen. Rachel looked up at the screen, hoping everything was okay. She looked over at Finn, who just looked confused.

"Is our baby okay?" Finn repeated.

"Yeah," the doctor said. "There's just two of them."

"Two?" Finn gasped. "Twins?"

"There must be something in the water on this campaign," the doctor said. "You guys are having twins."

"Wow," Rachel said, staring at the screen. Now that she looked closely, she could see that there were two small spots..."

"Wow," Finn said. "Two of them..."

x

Finn couldn't believe that there were two babies, not one. He wasn't going to lie, two babies was exciting, but it was a bit scary. There would be more diapers to buy, more crying at night... but two babies also made it more fun. These kids would have a sibling to grow up with and share the milestones with. Finn had been pretty lonely growing up without siblings and his bond with Kurt had confirmed for him that he wanted his kids to have siblings.

"Can you believe there's two of them?" Rachel asked.

"I can't," Finn said. "It's a bit nerve-wracking, but at the same time, I'm glad because I always knew I wanted our kids to have siblings."

"Our kids?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I always knew that I wanted kids with you," Finn admitted, hoping that Rachel wasn't weirded out by what he'd said.

"So did I," Rachel said. "I wouldn't want kids with anyone else. And not knowing my brother and sister... it makes me glad that our kids will have each other."

"I bet Kurt's going to be excited that there's two," Finn said.

"Yeah, he'll probably hope at least one's a girl, so he can take her shopping," Finn said.

"What do you think they are?" Rachel asked.

"I hope it's one of each, but we'll see," Finn said.

"That's what I'm hoping for, too," Rachel said.

"Do you think you'll tell Shelby and your dads?" Finn asked.

"Not yet," Rachel said. "I want to wait for things to set in... I hope things can get better."

"I'm sure they will," Finn said. He hoped so, anyway.

x

Finn had told Burt and Carole that he and Rachel were having twins, and they had been happy for them, once again promising to help in any way they could. Finn and Rachel had also called Kurt to tell him the news and he had been excited. Their other friends from glee and their friends from the campaign had been happy for them as well. Despite the fact that things were strained with Rachel's family, it was good to know that they had support from Finn's family and their friends from glee and the campaign.

Having the doctor come to the hotel rather than going to a hospital had avoided possible photos of Finn and Rachel leaving a hospital, so there was almost no talk about the pregnancy when Finn and Rachel interacted with voters this week. The Santos support seemed pretty strong, which was a good thing. The voting would be in two days, and right now the campaign was in Arizona. Tomorrow they'd be heading to Washington and the next day would be the voting.

Finn and Rachel stood off to the side to listen to the speech. As the speech began, Finn noticed something flying through the air. He wondered what it was, but he knew anyone who came to these events had to pass through security detectors. Any weapons of any kind would be removed.

Though it was moving quickly, Finn could tell what it was: eggs. The eggs cracked all over the podium, some of them actually on the candidate himself.

Finn was reminded strongly of what happened to Rachel their sophomore year. As the audience gasped in shock and horror, Finn looked into the crowd and saw Jesse, Brody, Sebastian and Karofsky laughing, but when security approached them, they stopped. He nudged Rachel, who groaned when she looked at them. "I should have known," Rachel whispered.

"Hey, non-black Obama, watch how all the lives of these chicks are being destroyed, just like the lives of all the babies you'll let be aborted!" Karofsky shouted as the secret service began escorting him, Jesse, Sebastian and Brody out of the hall.

"Those four are sick," Rachel whispered to Finn.

"Yeah," Finn agreed.

"I thought that Jesse would have learned something from egging me back in high school," Rachel said. "I would expect people to grow up and mature and change..."

"We've known those four for a while," Finn said.

"How's it going to make our campaign look when he gives a speech covered in eggs, sliding all over his body? What's the opposition going to do with it for ads?" Rachel asked.

"I wonder if this was their idea, Vinick's, or Sue's," Finn asked.

"Well, that non-black Obama comment sounds like Sue's sense of humor," Rachel said.

"Yeah, only like everything she says and does, it's not funny at all," Finn added.

"If you or I did that to Vinick or Russell or one of the other guys running against us in the primary, we'd be fired... not that we'd do that. But my point is, Vinick and Sue are going to think this is was a good thing," Rachel said.

The speech went on as usual, just with a candidate covered in eggs instead of a clean candidate. Finn tried to think about how to make sure Jesse, Brody, Sebastian and Karofsky couldn't get away with this... but how? Maybe they could get the RNC's number and complain to them... of course, this would probably be on the news.

"You've got to admit, he does look presidential," Rachel admitted. "You know, since rather than going backstage to change, he continued on as if nothing happened."

"Yeah," Finn said.

x

The entire campaign staff was disgusted by the opposition's behavior, but knowing who Vinick and Sue were, there probably wasn't a chance that the four egg throwers would be punished. Sure, security had escorted them out, but coverage of today would no doubt be shown on every major news channel, and Finn and Rachel both knew that all four (especially Jesse) thrived on attention... and so did Sue and Vinick...

Finn and Rachel sat in the suite to write a new blog post about their time in Arizona as the TV played in the background. The senior staff was having a meeting right now, so Finn and Rachel had Matt's phone in case anyone called. The phone began ringing. Finn looked at the Caller ID and saw that this call was coming from the Vice President's office. "Oh God," Finn said as he looked at the Caller ID.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"It's the vice president," Finn said.

"He is the vice president, we do kind of have to answer..." Rachel admitted.

"Hello, Santos for president," Finn said as he answered the phone, not sure if he wanted to talk to whoever this was.

"Is the congressman available?" a woman's voice asked. "I'm Vice President Sullivan's executive secretary and the Vice President would like to speak to the congressman."

Finn didn't know what to say. "I'm one of the campaign aides... I can see if he's available."

"Thank you," the woman said.

Finn went into the back room, where some of the senior staff was. "The Vice President's executive secretary is on the phone," Finn told Matt. "She says he wants to talk to you."

"Put it on speaker," Josh said. "With everything that's been going on, I want to hear what he says."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Matt asked.

"Talk to him on speaker," Josh repeated.

"Okay," Matt said as Finn handed him the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Congressman Matt Santos?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Matt said.

"Please hold for the Vice President of the United States," the woman said.

Finn had never met Vice President Sullivan, but he wasn't sure what to expect. He knew what Vinick was like... and Vinick had appointed Sullivan. What if Sullivan was calling to insult the campaign in some way?

"Hello, Congressman Santos," Sullivan's voice came on the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Vice President," Matt said.

"Congressman..." Sullivan began. "I don't know what to say. Please know that I am so, so sorry about what happened today. The behavior of our opening act and their manager was unacceptable, not to mention juvenile."

Finn looked at Rachel. In theory, this was nice, but he wasn't sure if he could believe Sullivan. After all, Vinick liked him enough to make him vice president...

"Well, thank you, Mr. Vice President," Matt said. "A shower and some dry cleaning can fix it up."

"I'm a politician, too, remember that," Sullivan said. "We may be in different parties, but we travel similar routes. I'd be absolutely humiliated if that happened to me."

"Is the president aware of what happened?" Matt asked.

"He is," Sullivan said. "However, I did find out first, and Mr. Karofsky, Mr. Smythe, Mr. St. James and Mr. Weston have been fired by me. President Vinick isn't happy, but we can't have people who do things like that on our campaign."

If Sullivan was willing to fire those four before Vinick found out, maybe he wasn't all bad. "Well, thank you," Matt said.

"I can't apologize enough for this, and there are no excuses," Sullivan continued. "All I can say is that I'll make sure something like this never happens on behalf of this campaign again."

"Thank you," Matt repeated.

"Goodbye, Congressman."

"Goodbye, Mr. Vice President."

"At least he has some sense," Finn said. "I wasn't aware Vinick hired people with sense."

"Jesse and his Vocal Adrenaline teammates did that to me in high school, too," Rachel said. "I think I showered for about an hour to get the smell off my body."

"It is pretty gross, isn't it?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "But Rachel and I were talking - the way that you just stayed on stage and continued your speech rather than asking to go back and change clothes and get the egg off you was really presidential. You had every right to even just cancel the rally - but you didn't."

x

Luckily, there were no eggs thrown at the rally in Washington the next day. Finn and Rachel's performance had been well-received and the speech had been good. The people Finn and Rachel had talked to during today's door-to-door had mostly been Santos supporters, though there had been some Russell supporters and Republicans.

However, Vinick and Sue were clearly angry about losing their opening act. Neither Finn nor Rachel could guarantee anything, but they were sure that Jesse, Brody and Sebastian had been hired to antagonize Finn and Rachel. None of them had strong political views, though Rachel knew from dating Jesse and Brody that they were both Republicans. Jesse and Brody were all about performing. And since when did they know Sebastian and Karofsky?

The ad with the ultrasound photo had been airing almost constantly on YouTube since the egging incident and was constantly showing up as a suggestion. Vinick and Sue were clearly trying to get revenge on the Santos campaign as much as possible, but Finn and Rachel liked to think they'd be the ones getting the ultimate revenge in November. Rachel had no idea how Vinick had even been elected president once, but she hoped the American people wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Vinick and Sue had not apologized for what Jesse, Brody, Sebastian and Karofsky had said. Sullivan hadn't been the only one to apologize - the RNC chair had called to apologize as well, and so had several of Matt's Republican friends from congress. There had not been a call from the "friend" who'd leaked the photo, however.

Right now, the campaign staff was at their hotel in Seattle, waiting for the results to come in.

And the results weren't what they'd been hoping for.

They won Washington, but Russell won Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, and Utah. Three of those states were almost guaranteed to go to Vinick in the fall, but it was still upsetting. At first, it seemed almost guaranteed that Russell would get the nomination, but then things got tight. Why did things still have to be tight?

"For the first time in recent elections, this will likely go all the way to the convention," the anchor on TV said as Finn and Rachel shared a worried look.

 _Chapter 20 preview: Finchel see their friends when they travel to New York for the New York primary. With the convention getting closer, things heat up even more and talk about potential VPs begins. Rachel's family finds out about her having twins through the grapevine._


	20. Chapter 20: Proposition

_Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your support. I really appreciate it. Many of you already know this, but because of school, work and issues in my personal life, my other stories (Gleedo and my Finchel Season 8) are on hiatus for the time being, but I hope you all understand and will be there when I return from hiatus. On a plus side, you'll likely got two new chapters here since I've been sick and in bed all week. But hey, it's two new updates :) Anyway, enjoy and review if I should keep going._

Chapter 20: Proposition

"Time to get up!" Rachel said as she threw a pillow at Finn.

Finn rolled over. "Rachel!"

"Hey, aren't you excited?" Finn asked.

"Of course I am!" Rachel said. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," Finn said. "Though it was nice to get to sleep in."

"I don't think we've slept this late since the primary cycle started," Rachel said. The campaign had already spent some time in Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island for this week's primaries. The voting would be tomorrow and the campaign was in the final state this week's primaries were held in - New York.

Their supervisors had given them most of the day off to hang out with their friends, but they would be performing at the rally tonight - and their fellow New Directions alumni would be joining them. It would be the first time Rachel would be part of a New Directions performance since graduation, so to say she and Finn were both excited was an understatement.

"It's nice to see you excited to see our friends," Finn said. "I remember how nervous you were the first time we saw them..."

"It'll be nice to see them," Rachel said, kissing Finn. "And like you said, it was nice to sleep in."

"Yeah, who knew the day would come where getting to sleep until eight felt luxurious?" Finn asked.

"It's crazy," Rachel said. "Next week we have Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska, West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon... then the next week it's Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, the Dakotas and DC... then no more primaries."

Finn paused. "It's crazy. This could be..." He really hoped this wouldn't be over in a few weeks. He'd had so much fun. But it could be. Things were VERY tight.

"I don't want to think like that," Rachel said.

"Me either," Finn said. "Come on, let's go see our friends."

"Do you think they'll like the song we picked out for the rally?" Rachel asked.

"I hope so," Finn said. He and Rachel left the hotel and went to the loft, knocking on the door.

Tina came to the door and opened it. "Oh my God, you're here! And Rachel, you don't look fat, even for someone who's pregnant with twins..."

"God Tina," Santana said as she came over to hug Rachel and Finn. "At least you didn't insult them."

"How is it that you have two babies in there and you're still my body goals?" Mercedes asked.

"We'll see how I look in September," Rachel laughed.

"You both look great, seriously," Kurt said as he hugged his best friend and brother. "No Campaign Ten for you two, I see."

"The veterans are surprised that we haven't gained the Campaign Ten, but our campaign manager said that the congressman's the only candidate he's worked for to not get hit with the Campaign Ten, so maybe that's why we didn't gain it."

"Your candidate would be gorgeous even if he got a Campaign Hundred," Blaine said.

"Blaine, enough of that!" Kurt said.

"So, Blaine still has a crush on our candidate, huh?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "We'll do our best to keep him under control tonight..."

"Speaking of tonight, we should go over the number Finn and I put together," Rachel said.

"Rachel putting together numbers and bossing everyone around, just like the old days," Santana said.

"It's the first time we've all performed together in nearly four years," Finn said. "The first time she'll ever get to perform with some of the newbies."

"Yeah, I'll finally get to perform with the legendary Rachel Berry," Marley said.

"And she's not the only one we've convinced to vote Santos tomorrow," Artie said proudly, looking at Kitty.

"You're voting for Santos?" Finn asked, surprised. He knew that Kitty came from a conservative Christian family.

"I think it was more that my family was super conservative, but these guys have opened my eyes," Kitty said.

"So you guys are all voting for our guy tomorrow?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, we are," Brittany said. "But you need to get him to come on Fondue For Two."

"Want to run through our number?" Rachel asked. "We've got to impress him tonight."

x

After practicing the number, Rachel was out shopping with the girls and Kurt while Finn went to a Yankees game with the guys. As the girls and Kurt arrived at Macy's, Rachel heard a familiar voice. "Rachel?"

Rachel turned and saw Shelby. "Hello, Shelby."

"I didn't know you were in New York," Shelby said.

"Well, the New York primary's tomorrow," Rachel said. Her last conversation with Shelby had been less than friendly, so she was trying to be as polite as she could.

"Have you and Finn decided what you'll do when the baby gets here?" Shelby asked.

Rachel definitely didn't want to talk about that with Shelby in the middle of Macy's. "The baby isn't due until November."

"You mean babies," Tina said.

Rachel didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she wanted Shelby to know there was more than one. "Babies?" Shelby asked.

"I'm not sure what I'll do, Shelby," Rachel said, annoyed that Tina had blurted out that there was more than one. That wasn't entirely false. She and Finn didn't know what they'd be doing after the campaign.

"I'm sure that you could find them a good home and then go back to Broadway," Shelby said. "You're really talented Rachel. With all your performances at the rallies, you're becoming well known. And even if Santos doesn't get the nomination, the fact that you worked on his campaign is going to look really good..."

"We'll see," Rachel said.

"And it shouldn't be a problem getting the babies adopted," Shelby said. "The demand for white newborn babies is high in America..."

"Like I said, I don't know yet what I'll do," Rachel admitted. "Nice to see you, Shelby." When Shelby was gone, Rachel turned to Tina. "Since my relationships with them are strained right now, I really wasn't sure if I wanted her to know that it's twins..."

"Oh, sorry," Tina said.

"Finn and I are hoping we can raise the babies," Rachel admitted. "I know that we're young, but we do have the support of Finn's family and we're making good money for people our age on this campaign, but we don't know what sort of jobs we'll have after the campaign..."

"Well, we'd love it if you two came here," Mercedes said. "You'd have an endless supply of babysitters."

Rachel smiled. "I'd love to come back to New York, too, but it really depends on what kind of jobs we can get. We do want to be able to give the kids a good life..."

"So you do want to keep the kids, it sounds like," Kurt said.

"We do, but we need to think about what's best for them," Rachel said.

"Do you think they're boys or girls?" Brittany asked.

"I'm not really sure," Rachel said. "I'm kind of hoping for one of each."

"And just imagine, your babies can have playdates in the White House with the Santoses' babies!" Mercedes said.

"That would be pretty cool," Rachel said. "Let's just hope that we can get those babies' father into the oval office."

"With you and Finn on that campaign, how can he lose?" Santana asked.

"I've missed you guys," Rachel admitted. "The people Finn and I are hanging out with on the campaign trail are fun to be with, but I really miss you all."

"We miss you guys, too," Kurt said.

"I am impressed with what you guys have done though," Rachel admitted. "I've seen all your posts on , Kurt, including the one about how people dress on campaigns. Thanks for not insulting how I dress."

"It's much better than the grandmother/toddler clothes from early high school and the way you dressed our first year in New York," Kurt said.

"Yeah, but I know you're going to become a full time Vogue staff member after you graduate," Rachel said.

"I'm hoping to do some design for them, too," Kurt said.

"I know, I see the stuff you design for some of those shoots," Rachel said. "You will."

"Did you see that I've been a model in some of his shoots?" Kitty asked.

"I did!" Rachel said. "How are you liking New York?"

"I love it," Kitty said. "I'm still trying to decide what I want my major to be, but I know that I want to stay here."

"You have time," Rachel said. "You don't need to decide right away. In the mean time, you can get your geneds out of the way." She turned to Marley. "And how do you like NYADA?"

"I love it," Marley said. "Well, other than Cassandra July. But they've liked lots of the songs I've written."

"I saw the videos of the glee club performing your songs, they were really good," Rachel said. "And speaking of songs - I hope you know I've been buying all your songs on iTunes, Mercedes."

"Good," Mercedes said.

"I hope you're getting ready for your first grammy," Rachel said. "You should have one by now."

"That's what we're always saying," Santana said. "She and Marley have both used some of their songs in Artie's films, too."

"I'd love to see those," Rachel said. She was so happy to hear that things were going so well for her friends. They deserved it.

x

"I can't believe you and Rachel managed to break that bed," Puck said to Finn. "I've never even pulled that off."

"I don't even know how we managed it," Finn said. "I guess it was making up for lost time. It was only the second time after three years..."

"We were pretty shocked to see that photo," Artie said.

"It was kind of embarrassing to have that available for the world to see," Finn admitted.

"I wish I could do that," Puck said.

"Like I said, I don't know how we managed to do that," Finn said.

"Artie's putting a broken bed from sex in his latest film," Sam said.

Finn turned to Artie. "Really?"

"Yeah, I bet I know where you got the idea," Artie said.

"I do," Finn said. "Hopefully this one will win another award."

"His films have been a big success at the Film Academy," Sam said.

"You've been pretty successful with your male modeling though," Finn said. "I've seen some of your photos."

"I still haven't gotten to the side of a bus yet," Sam said.

"You'll get there," Blaine said. "He's been on billboards, Finn."

"I know, they're awesome," Finn said. "And I heard you're playing Fiyero in NYADA's end of the semester production of Wicked."

"I am," Blaine said. "Kurt's made sure that the girls playing Elphaba and Glinda know I'm gay."

"It's too bad you and Rachel won't be here for it," Sam said.

"Yeah, we miss you guys," Finn said.

"Do you think you might come to New York after the campaign?" Blaine asked. "We'd love to have you guys here."

Finn had thought about that. "I don't really know what we'll do after the campaign... I am kind of hoping if he wins, we'll get jobs in the administration, and I do want to finish up my degree..."

"So you still want to teach?" Artie asked.

"I'd like to, eventually," Finn said. "I really liked working with the New Directions. If Rachel and I do keep the kids, we want to make sure they have what they need..."

"Do you think you'll keep the babies?" Sam asked.

"I want to, she wants to, but at the same time, we want the babies to have what they need," Finn said. "We have good money from the campaign now, but we don't even know if he'll get the nomination... things are very, very close." He liked to think his candidate would get the nomination, but this was so close... it could go either way. If Russell swept the rest of the primaries, he wouldn't have a job anymore.

"Even if he doesn't get it, I'm sure you could get another job without much trouble," Puck said. "You have so much recognition from the campaign..."

"Are you nervous?" Artie asked.

"Yeah," Finn admitted. "I don't know if another job would pay as well as this one, well enough to take care of the babies, and I doubt that I'd love a new job as much as I love this one, despite all the stress..."

"Well, the other day they said on TV they think this might go to the convention," Sam said. "The big name Democrats support Santos, so that could work in your favor."

"I hope," Finn admitted.

"If it means anything, I think things will go well here in New York this week," Blaine said. "We've been going door to door and making calls and there have been lots of Santos supporters."

"That's great," Finn said.

x

That evening, Finn and Rachel had brought their friends along to the rally for the night's performance. Their friends had been excited to meet Matt Santos and to perform, and Finn and Rachel were excited for a New Directions performance. Finn walked on to the stage and took the microphone. "Hi, New York! It's good to be back. I hope you're all going to get out to vote tomorrow."

The crowd cheered as Rachel took the microphone. "Tonight, we have some very special guests joining us for our performance. When Finn and I were in high school, we were in a national championship winning glee club. And tonight, some of the members of that club will be joining us for tonight's performance. Please welcome the New Directions!"

The New Directions alumni came on stage as the music began.

 _Finn: Sun coming up over New York City_

 _School bus driver in a traffic jam_

 _Rachel: Starin' at the faces in her rearview mirror_

 _Looking at the promise of the promised Land_

 _Blaine: One kid dreams of fame and fortune_

 _One kid helps pay the rent_

 _Kurt: One could end up going to prison_

 _One just might be president_

 _New Directions alumni: Only in America_

 _Dreaming in red, white and blue_

 _Only in America_

 _Where we dream as big as we want to_

 _We all get a chance_

 _Everybody gets to dance_

 _Only in America_

 _Sam: Sun going down on an LA freeway_

 _Newlyweds in the back of a limousine_

 _Mercedes: A welder's son and a banker's daughter_

 _All they want is everything_

 _Artie: She came out here to be an actress_

 _He was the singer in a band_

 _Kitty: They just might go back to Oklahoma_

 _And talk about the stars they could have been_

 _New Directions alumni: Only in America_

 _Dreaming in red, white and blue_

 _Only in America_

 _Where we dream as big as we want to_

 _We all get a chance_

 _Everybody gets to dance_

 _Only in America_

 _Santana: Only in America_

 _Where we dream in red, white and blue_

 _Marley: Only in America_

 _Where we dream as big as we want to_

 _Brittany: We all get a chance_

 _Everybody gets to dance_

 _Puck: Only in America_

 _Yeah only in America_

 _New Directions alumni: Where we dream in red, white and blue_

 _Yeah we dream as big as we want to_

The crowd applauded at the end of the song as Finn and Rachel shared a smile. It had been so nice to perform with the New Directions alumni again.

x

"Did you have fun with the guys today?" Kurt asked Finn as they sat in Finn and Rachel's hotel room. Finn had wanted some time with his brother, so after the rally, Kurt had come back to the hotel with Finn and Rachel.

"I did," Finn said. "You could have come with us, but our dad said you probably would have spent the whole time talking about the baseball players' uniforms..."

"There is never an excuse for stirrup pants!" Kurt pouted.

"Hey, at least your fiance didn't try to flirt with the candidate tonight," Finn said.

"I guess everyone has famous crushes," Kurt sighed.

"Yeah," Finn said.

"When do you think you'll be back in New York?" Kurt asked. "I do want to throw Rachel a baby shower..."

"I bet Rachel would like that," Finn said.

"I know you guys are nervous, but I really think you'll be able to get good jobs to provide for the babies after the campaign..."

"We have time to decide," Finn said.

Rachel came out of the bathroom where she was showering. "I was just saying, I'm throwing a baby shower for you."

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Kurt said. "And I'm going to spoil the heck out of those babies."

"I do wish we could just know we were keeping them and be excited rather than being nervous and unsure and overwhelmed," Finn admitted.

"You guys can do it," Kurt said. "You're doing all sorts of great work for a presidential campaign. Any job you want should be yours."

"You saw that Shelby thinks I could get back on Broadway..." Rachel began. She turned to Finn. "We ran into her and she told me she thinks I can get back on Broadway."

"Did she give you a hard time?" Finn asked.

"Not really, but it was still awkward," Rachel said.

"That's part of why I hope things work out," Finn said. "I don't want things to be uncomfortable with us and the babies or for them to not know us..."

"What are you two so afraid of?" Kurt asked.

"I want them to have the best life possible, and neither of us have a college degree... loving our children isn't enough, we need to give our kids what they need, food, shelter, insurance..." Rachel began as her phone started ringing. She looked at her phone. "It's my dad..."

Finn didn't want Rachel to talk to her dad after what happened. "I'll pick up the phone."

"Put it on speaker so I can hear what he says," Rachel sighed as she handed Finn the phone.

Finn picked up the phone, putting it on speaker. "Hello Mr. Berry."

"Finn, is Rachel there?" Hiram asked.

"She's in the shower," Finn lied. "How are you?"

"Shelby called me today," Hiram said. "You two are having twins? Why didn't you call?"

"Well, Rachel said you guys weren't very supportive when she called to say she was pregnant," Finn said.

"It's my ex-husband who's the unsupportive one," Hiram said. "I just want Rachel to make the right choice and I think two babies would hold up her career..."

Finn was definitely glad Rachel hadn't answered the call. "Well, I'll tell her you called." He hung up the phone and turned to Rachel. "I feel like this is a decision we should make, not have others tell us what to do."

"Me too," Rachel said. "We should get to bed. We have that meeting with the DNC chair tomorrow morning..."

x

Finn was still annoyed when he and Rachel went to the meeting the next morning. The Russell and Santos campaigns were both meeting with the DNC chair and the campaign was sending Finn and Rachel along with the senior campaign staff, since they were always with the candidate. The meeting was pretty awkward at first - the DNC chair, Leo McGarry, was mostly talking about how since things would likely go all the way to the convention, so both candidates needed to act like the nominee. About halfway through the meeting, Russell spoke up. "I have something in mind so things aren't a big mess at the convention..."

"What's your idea?" McGarry asked.

Russell looked at the campaign staff sitting across the table. "Congressman Santos, how about we officially become a ticket? You can be my vice presidential candidate. That way, there will be a nominee, we'll both win to some extent, we don't need to worry about the party being divided... and together, we'll be unstoppable against Vinick."

Finn wanted to scream. Russell wasn't doing this for the sake of the party. He wanted Matt out of the way. He looked over at Rachel, who also looked like she didn't know what to say to that.

"You're saying that we shouldn't let the states that haven't voted yet have a say?" Matt asked, clearly not knowing what to say.

"Well, it'll be a Russell/ Santos ticket, it's between you and me at this point," Russell said. "So people will still be able to vote for you if they like you..."

"I'm running for president," Matt said.

"There can only be one nominee," Russell said. "You've had a good run. You've gotten further than anyone thought you would. You've come from behind. But we need a nominee and if it keeps going some of the states to me, some to you, the convention will be a trainwreck."

"Conventions used to be when the nominees were chosen," Josh said.

"So, are you saying that you don't want to do this, Congressman Santos?" McGarry asked. "Because I say, I think that's a good idea... it'll give us a nominee and it can help your supporters warm up to him..."

"Thank you for the offer, but I want to stick it out," Matt said.

"If you change your mind, give me a call," Russell said as he got up and left the room, followed by his staff.

When the Russell campaign was gone, McGarry faced the Santos campaign. "I couldn't say this with him in the room, I voted for you when my state had our primary. But we can't keep going back and forth between two candidates. We need to defeat Vinick and the sooner we know who the nominee is, the better."

"I think Russell did that because he wants us out of the way," Matt said, confirming Finn and Rachel weren't the only ones who thought that.

"Well, you could offer him the same deal," McGarry said. "He's been vice president..."

"We've got a short list of vice president ideas, and he's not on it," Matt said. "I'm sorry, Mr. McGarry. I'm in this until the end."

"Okay," McGarry said. "We need a nominee, though. Remember that."

x

"Russell's afraid of us," Finn said as he sat in the hotel suite with the campaign staff. The staff that hadn't gone to the meeting had agreed with the staff that was there - Russell had made the offer so he would have the nomination in the bag, not so there would be some party unity.

"Yeah, he is," Rachel said as she waited for the results to come in. The polls had closed a few hours ago and the results would be announced soon.

"How do you think things will go tonight?" Finn asked. The DNC chair had seemed to want party unity, and this issue would no doubt come up again if things didn't go well tonight...

"I hope they'll go well," Rachel said.

"And for the first time in this campaign, one candidate won every single state in one week..." the TV anchor said.

Finn and Rachel grabbed each other's hands. This was either really good news for them or really bad news...

But then the Santos campaign logo appeared on the screen. "Matt Santos has won all five of this week's primaries, adding New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware to his column... after a few disappointing weeks, this is a big plus for the Santos campaign..."

They'd won all the states of this week. This campaign really wasn't over. The future was looking brighter and brighter - for the campaign, and for Finn, Rachel and their children.

 _Chapter 21 preview: Finn and Rachel have an upsetting experience right before the second last week of primaries. They also try to talk to Rachel's family again about the babies._


	21. Chapter 21: Crash

Hi _everyone! I know I said that I'd have two chapters last week, but by the time I finished this yesterday, I thought no one would read it because it was Super Bowl day, so I posted it today :) I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter and review if I should keep going! :)_

Chapter 21: Crash

"Do you think we have a shot at winning here?" Finn asked as he and Rachel drove down the street in northern Indiana. There would be a rally this afternoon, so Finn and Rachel had spent the morning going door to door. The campaign would head to southern Indiana this evening after this afternoon's rally, then have another in the evening.

"I hope so," Rachel said. "It keeps getting closer and closer... you saw what things were like in Kentucky, West Virginia, Nebraska and Wisconsin..."

"Well, in Wisconsin there were more Santos supporters than Russell supporters, I thought," Finn said.

"I can't believe there's only one week left after this," Rachel said. Her phone started winning. "It's my dad."

Finn wasn't sure if Rachel should answer it. "Well, put it on speaker..."

Rachel picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"You're having twins?" LeRoy asked.

"Yes," Rachel said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" LeRoy asked.

"Well, seeing as you don't seem to want me to keep them, I didn't think you'd care," Rachel said.

"You'd probably be able to still get them adopted," LeRoy said. "Or you could even do what your dad and Shelby and I did..."

"You mean have these kids live a lie for 22 years?" Rachel asked.

"Having these babies is going to ruin your life," LeRoy said. "You're going to spend your life in poverty if you keep them. Your body might not look the part for Broadway anymore. You might not be able to finish your degree..."

"Please don't lecture me," Rachel said. "Finn and I have a rally to get to..."

Finn had wanted to tell LeRoy to stop it, but LeRoy didn't even know that Finn was in the car with Rachel.

"Well, your candidate has created one big mess for the primaries," LeRoy said. "If he hadn't been such a spotlight whore, Russell would have this wrapped up by now and he could focus on beating Vinick rather than trying to get the nomination..."

Rachel hung up the phone and turned to Finn. "I'm so sick of this."

"I'm sorry," Finn said. His parents were supportive and he wished Rachel's would be, too.

"I shouldn't have been talking while driving," Rachel groaned.

Finn looked over from the passenger seat, seeing a car going through the red light. "Rachel, look out!"

Rachel looked at Finn before Finn heard a honk and heard the car swerve before things went black.

x

Finn opened his eyes and looked around the hospital room, seeing Burt and Carole at his side. At first, he wondered why he was in the hospital, but then he remembered: a car had hit him and Rachel when they were on their way back from their phone bank. He was feeling sore, but other than that, he felt fine... but where was Rachel? Was she okay? Were the babies okay? He noticed that Rachel wasn't in this room - what if the worst had happened?

"Finn..." Carole said, noticing Finn was awake. "I'm so glad you're okay.."

"When did you get here?" Finn asked.

"We started driving to Indiana as soon as Matt called me to tell me," Burt said. "We were scared... we didn't know how bad it was..."

"Where's Rachel?" Finn asked.

"She's fine, so are the babies," Carole said, holding Finn's hand. "The doctors did an ultrasound. Everything's fine."

"Are they sure?" Finn asked, feeling more and more worried.

"They're fine, honey, so is Rachel," Carole said.

"They're 100% sure?" Finn asked.

"Finn, they did an ultrasound," Burt said. "You don't need to worry."

Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "Rachel and I were supposed to perform at today's rally..."

"He cancelled the rally, it's fine," Burt said.

Finn's eyes got wide. "He can't do that. The primary is in two days... I know Indiana usually goes to the Republicans, but with things so tight, it's important that he get as much exposure as possible..."

"He wanted to be here," Carole said. "He's in the waiting room, with the campaign staff. Everyone's worried sick."

"I want to see Rachel..." Finn said.

"The doctor wants you to rest," Burt said.

"I can't stay in bed... we need to fly to Oregon in a few hours... he can't miss any more appearances," Finn said.

"Finn, din't worry about the campaign right now," Carole said.

"While Matt's sitting in the waiting room, Russell and Vinick are no doubt campaigning their butts off," Finn sighed.

"If something like this happened to their campaign staff, they would cancel campaign events, too," Burt said. "I could tell everyone was worried about you and Rachel. Your brother wants to fly out here..."

"We'll be in Oregon tomorrow anyway," Finn began as the doctor came in. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Sore, but other than that, I'm okay," Finn said.

"You have a minor concussion, but nothing's broken, and your bruises and scrapes should be gone within a few days," the doctor said. "Maybe rest for a few hours and then you can go back to the hotel."

"I want to see Rachel," Finn said.

"Just rest a little more," the doctor said.

"She's my girlfriend, she's carrying my babies," Finn said. "I want to see Rachel."

The doctor sighed. "Okay, but since you just regained consciousness, I want you to go in a wheelchair to be safe."

"That's fine," Finn said. The doctor was saying Rachel was fine, but he wouldn't feel that way until he saw her.

x

Rachel opened her eyes, noticing that both her dads were there. If they were both there, was she in bad shape? Was Finn in bad shape?

"She's awake," Hiram said.

"Dad... Daddy..." Rachel began.

"We came here as soon as we got that call from that candidate of yours," LeRoy said. "How do you feel?"

"It hurts," Rachel said.

"Nothing's broken, baby, don't worry," Hiram said. "You needed some stitches in your forehead, but you're fine..."

"What about Finn?" Rachel asked. "What about the babies?"

"They're fine," LeRoy said.

"Thank you for coming," Rachel said. "I didn't think you'd come after what happened..."

"Of course I came," Hiram said.

Rachel couldn't help but notice her dads were still being distant. They sat on opposite sides of her bed, glancing at each other ever so often. Then the doctor came in. "How are you feeling?"

"I heard I have stitches," Rachel said.

"Yeah, you do, but you're fine," the doctor said. "Your babies are fine, too."

"Thank goodness," Rachel sighed. "You're sure they're okay?"

"We're sure, we did a blood tests, and their heartbeats are normal," the doctor said. "We did an ultrasound. Everything's okay."

"Okay," Rachel said. "How's Finn?"

"Finn has a mild concussion, but he'll be fine with a bit of rest," the doctor said.

"Do you think we'll be able to get out to Oregon tonight?" Rachel asked.

"Maybe you should come home," LeRoy said.

Rachel didn't feel like another argument about the campaign. "I want to get back to work as soon as possible if I'm fine and the babies are fine. I'm in this to win..."

"Well, the congressman's in the waiting room and he's really worried," the doctor said. "Lots of the other staff are there, too."

"They didn't need to do that," Rachel said. She noticed an annoyed look on her dad's face when the candidate was mentioned. While she appreciated his concern, she really hoped an argument wouldn't break out.

x

Finn wheeled down the hall with Burt and Carole behind him. The doctor had told him that Rachel was okay, but he wasn't going to believe it until he saw Rachel himself. Rachel's side of the car had been hit harder than his - he knew he easily could have lost her and the babies. His whole world would have been shattered if he had.

Finn, Burt and Carole went into Rachel's room. Finn got a bit nervous when he saw Rachel's dads there. He knew her relationship with them was on shaky ground and hoped they didn't say anything that might upset her... she'd been in that accident too.

Rachel looked so sad as Finn wheeled in. "Finn..."

"The doctor just wanted me to use this when I came to your room while recovering from my concussion," Finn said. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"So you can still walk?" Rachel asked.

"I'm fine," Finn said, leaning over to kiss Rachel. "The concussion's the worst of it. I was so worried about you and the babies..."

"Well, all three of us are fine," Rachel said, smiling softly as she took Finn's hand. "The worst thing is that I had a cut that needed stitches..."

Finn put his arms around Rachel. "I'm here. I was so, so worried about you..."

"I was so worried about you," Rachel said.

Finn looked over at Rachel's dads. "Mr. Berry... Mr. Berry..."

"I'm glad you're okay, Finn," Hiram said.

At least Hiram was being polite. "Thanks."

"The congressman shouldn't have sent you two on that errand," LeRoy said.

Hiram turned to his ex-husband. "There was no way of knowing that was going to happen... people get in car accidents all the time..."

Finn sighed as he looked at Rachel. "Please don't do this," Rachel moaned.

"If you were still in Funny Girl, you wouldn't have been in that accident," LeRoy said.

"I'm fine," Rachel groaned. "I have a cut on my head, it's not like..."

"I'm glad you both are okay," Burt cut in. "I was so worried when Matt called..."

"He's a friend of yours, right?" Hiram asked Burt.

"One of my best friends," Burt said. "Finn and Rachel are adults, but there are few people I'd trust more to look after my son."

LeRoy looked annoyed. "Well, you know I'm voting for Russell..."

"Let's not argue," Rachel said, taking Finn's hand and kissing it. She turned to him. "When do you think you'll be able to go back to the hotel?"

"A few hours," Finn said. "Maybe we should see if he can find us a flight to fly out to Oregon tomorrow morning so we can rest tonight..."

"I'm sure he would," Carole said.

"I still think that they shouldn't go to Oregon," LeRoy said.

"We've still got a primaries to win," Rachel said. "He took the day off for us... we need to get back into action."

The doctor came in. "Rachel, Finn, I just stopped in the waiting room where the campaign staff is waiting. The congressman wanted to see you two..."

Finn wanted to thank Matt for waiting to see him and Rachel, for canceling the rally so he could be there, for calling their parents. But he was worried LeRoy would say something. Then Hiram spoke. "Have him come in..."

"Please don't do anything that can stress Finn and Rachel out," Carole said to LeRoy.

A few moments later, Matt and Helen came into the hospital room. "How are you two feeling?" Matt asked. "Are the babies okay?"

"The doctors said we'll be okay," Rachel said. "Finn's got a concussion, I needed stitches, but the doctors said we should be able to get back to the hotel in a few hours and the babies are fine... but I was wondering, is it okay if Finn and I spend the night here and fly out to Oregon in the morning?"

"Yeah, of course," Matt said. "I'll work something out." He turned to Rachel's dads. "You must be Hiram and LeRoy Berry... I'm Matt Santos."

"Thank you for calling me," Hiram said.

"Of course. I'm a father, I'd want to be there if something happened to any of my kids... all five of them," Matt said.

"Maybe Finn and Rachel should take some time off," LeRoy said.

"No," Rachel said. "Not with the primary in two days. Not this late into it."

"These two work so hard, it's hard to get them to stop," Matt said. "They always knock on the most doors, spend hours working on blog posts, make the most phone calls... sometimes I think they work TOO hard."

"That sounds like Finn and Rachel," Burt said.

"We're not happy with you for canceling today's rally though," Finn told Matt. "Russell and Vinick probably spent all day campaigning and you were sitting in a hospital waiting room..."

"Some things are more important," Matt said. "We were worried about you guys, the whole staff is."

"Well, we're okay, and we're hoping that tomorrow, we'll be performing at the Oregon rally," Finn said.

"I want you two to take it easy for a few days," Matt said. "Maybe just do phone calls for the next few days."

"I do want her to be performing again soon," LeRoy said. "Someone from Broadway is sure to see her at some point... even though I'm for Russell, this is probably going to help her get noticed..."

"She'll be performing again soon, but like I said, I want her and Finn to take it easy for a little while," Matt said. "She's pregnant so she should take it easy..."

"He wants me to take it easy too, Rachel," Helen said. "But we need to get him elected, don't we?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "And Matt, I know you want Helen to take it easy because she's pregnant, I'm going to be going all out until the end, despite my pregnancy."

"These two both asked right away when they could go back to work," the doctor said. "You've got some dedicated staffers."

x

"How are you feeling?" Finn asked as he and Rachel lay in their hotel room that night.

"I'm glad to be out of the hospital," Rachel said. "It was a close call... but I'm glad all four of us are okay."

"Yeah, me too," Finn said.

Rachel felt some movements from her stomach and moved Finn's hand to her chest. "They're moving?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling at Finn. "I think they're telling us that they're okay and to stop worrying..."

"Well, we're their parents, it's our job to worry," Finn laughed.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Speaking of parents... I am glad my dads weren't too rude..." Things felt uncomfortable, but at least they hadn't said anything in front of the candidate.

"It is nice to be at the hotel by ourselves," Finn said, kissing Rachel. The campaign had scheduled Finn and Rachel for a flight out to Oregon the next morning, but it was nice to relax.

"I will miss performing, but it'll be good for us to have some time to relax while we get our energy back," Rachel said. "I just hope that we can keep on performing after next week... if Russell sweeps this week's primaries... and next week's..."

"I know," Finn said. "And I feel bad that he missed the rally yesterday... I know that Russell and Vinick were campaigning..."

Rachel's phone started vibrating. She saw a text from Kurt and read it to Finn. "Vinick said on Twitter that Matt Santos proved he'd be an irresponsible president because he canceled his rally to wait for us at the hospital..."

"Oh God," Rachel groaned. "Since that had to do with us, I'm sure Sue had something to do with that tweet..."

"I'm sure she did," Finn agreed.

x

Finn and Rachel flew out to Oregon the next day. They both hoped that the fact that Rachel's dads had come out to Indiana after the car accident meant that the tide would be turning, but at the same time, they had both felt the tension. Both Finn and Rachel were feeling sore, so maybe it was for the better that they'd spent today making phone calls and blog posts rather than being active at the rally.

The day after Finn and Rachel arrived in Oregon was the day votes would come in. Last week the Santos campaign had good luck and got all five states. Maybe they'd have similar luck this week and the race would be decided.

But as soon as the TV was turned on to watch the results come in, West Virginia was called for Russell.

The West Virginia call was followed by Kentucky being called a few minutes later for Russell. It looked like they couldn't put this in the bag just yet.

About an hour went by before the next closings. Wisconsin was called as a Santos victory and the staff cheered. But a few minutes later, Indiana was called for Russell, followed by Nebraska a few minutes later. Not only were they not going to repeat their sweep from last week, but even if they did end up winning Oregon, Russell would have more states.

The wait for the Oregon polls to close was long, and Finn and Rachel didn't say much of anything. Finally, Oregon was declared a Santos state, but this still wasn't over. There was one week of primaries left - but like the TV anchors were predicting, the nominee would more than likely be decided at the convention.

And Finn and Rachel needed to convince the delegates that Matt Santos was the choice.

 _Chapter 22 preview: It's the last week of primaries. Will a nominee be chosen or will things go all the way to the convention? Finchel also find out the genders of the babies. With the primaries winding down, Finn and Rachel both wonder if this is the end and what's next - and face conflicts._


	22. Chapter 22: The Last Primaries

_Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your support. I appreciate it so much. Those of you who've read my stories before know that I have an attachment to the Finchel babies I based a series around, so that's why the babies have the genders they have (though there may be more in the future - who knows)? Anyway, thanks for putting up with the long primary season and for all your support! Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you like - and if I should keep going._

Chapter 22: The Last Primaries

This was it - the last week of primaries.

Finn and Rachel were still instructed to take things easy, so they'd spent today making calls. Rachel had gone to the grocery store, so right now Finn was in their hotel room. They'd just gotten to New Mexico after a day in Montana. The impression they'd gotten from their time in Montana and the Dakotas earlier this week - it would be close. Finn and Rachel had obviously hoped that this would be decided this week, but now it looked inevitable that it would be decided at the convention.

As Finn worked on a letter to the delegates, his phone started ringing. He looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Mr. Schue. He picked up the phone. "Hi!"

"Hi Finn," Mr. Schue said. "How's the Santos campaign going?"

"Well, you see the news," Finn said. "Things are really close. It's stressful, but I'm having fun."

"That's good," Mr. Schue said.

"I'm sorry Vocal Adrenaline lost Nationals," Finn said. He wasn't really sorry. Even though Mr. Schue was now their coach, he would never be a Vocal Adrenaline fan.

"Well, Throat Explosion seems to have cemented themselves as the best glee club in America," Mr. Schue admitted. "Speaking of glee clubs, I'm with Superintendent Harris. He called me in for a meeting today. The school levy passed, so they might bring back the glee club next year at McKinley."

"Seriously?" Finn asked. "That's great! Especially since you won't have Sue Sylvester trying to destroy it all the time..."

"I heard she's not only running the president's campaign, but that the two of them are dating," Mr. Schue said.

"Well, the thing about them dating is a rumor, but I wouldn't be surprised," Finn said. "So, do you think you'll go back to McKinley to run the glee club?"

"We just bought a house closer to Carmel," Mr. Schue admitted. "And as much as I miss the New Directions spirit, this job pays really well and has so many perks. I do feel bad about saying no, but even though the atmosphere isn't the best, this is a good lifestyle... Superintendent Harris said that he'd bring back the glee club if I ran it or if someone I recommended ran it..."

Finn was surprised Mr. Schue didn't want to go back to McKinley. "It sounds like you want to go back."

"I would, but like I said, Carmel pays so much better," Mr. Schue said.

"I told him if we could find someone else trustworthy to run the glee club, we'll still bring it back... what would you think of running it?" Superintendent Harris asked. "If we can't come up with someone, the glee club won't come back..."

Finn paused. As stressful as this job could be at times, he loved it. He loved the crowds, the adrenaline, talking to the voters... he loved performing with Rachel at the rallies... he loved getting to feel like he was making a difference... sure, there was a lot of stress that came with his job, and while the bad things could be difficult, the good things balanced it out. "I can't. I have a job already and the glee club would need someone at the beginning of the year," Finn said. "If I came in November, Sectionals would only be a few weeks away..." He did feel bad that the glee club was without a leader if they came back, but he was happy where he was, and this could lead to so many opportunities.

"Finn, Matt Santos isn't going to get the nomination," Superintendent Harris said. "He had a good run, but it's over. If he was going to get it, he'd be up rather than deadlocked. Everyone knew from the beginning that it was going to be Russell. Santos put up a good fight, but it's over. McKinley needs you. New Directions need you."

Finn was tired of people putting his candidate down. "You are aware that even though it's virtually tied in popular vote, Santos has more states than Russell?"

"My point is, we need you at McKinley," Mr. Schue said. "I really want the glee club to be brought back, but they can't do that without a leader."

"I think you'd be happier there than you are at Carmel," Finn said.

"Well, I can't leave my job at Carmel," Mr. Schue said.

"And I don't want to leave my job with the Santos campaign," Finn said. "With the babies on the way, we could get really great jobs from this campaign."

"But what if Russell gets the nomination?" Superintendent Harris asked. "You and Rachel would both be unemployed with two kids on the way."

"Santos is going to get the nomination," Finn said. "I'm sorry, you know I'd take the job if I was available, but I'm not." He paused. He did want the glee club to be brought back, but he had a job.

"Okay Finn," Superintendent said. "We haven't hired anyone yet, but I have a feeling you'll regret this if Santos doesn't get the nomination."

After saying goodbye to his former teacher and superintendent, Finn thought for a minute. He obviously wanted Santos to get the nomination, but what if he didn't? If Russell got the nomination, Finn would be able to go to Lima in the fall to run the glee club at McKinley, but he didn't even know if he'd be at his best if that happened. He'd poured his heart and soul into the Santos campaign for nearly a year now, and if they didn't get the nomination, he'd be absolutely devastated. Sure, he'd vote for Russell, but he didn't think Russell would be a great president.

And of course, there was Rachel and the babies to think about. He didn't know what Rachel would think about going back to Lima. He and Rachel wanted to keep their babies, but knew they needed a good income to do it. No matter what happened with the babies, he knew that he wasn't going to lose Rachel again.

Hopefully this week, all the states would end up in the Santos column to avoid any more conflict.

x

As Rachel went to the rental car after her trip to the grocery store, she noticed her phone ringing. It was an unfamiliar number, but it had a New York area code, so she figured it might be one of her friends calling from work or something. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Rachel Berry?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes," Rachel said.

"Rachel, my name is Alicia Williams, I'm a producer for the upcoming Broadway revival of Evita," the voice on the other end said.

"Hi," Rachel said, wondering why this woman was calling her. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing well," Alicia said. "Rachel, I saw you in Funny Girl and you were great. I was wondering if you'd like to try out for Evita..."

Rachel was surprised to be getting this call. She had to admit, she'd been pretty unprofessional by leaving Funny Girl, so she didn't expect to get any offers to work on Broadway again.

However, her work on the Santos campaign had really gotten her thinking. She still enjoyed performing with Finn at the rallies. But without her dads around to put so much pressure on her, she hadn't once thought about what it would take to get back to Broadway. Even after That's So Rachel had bombed, she was more upset about how humiliated she was than anything else. She still enjoyed performing, but she'd learned from leaving a big opportunity once. She wasn't going to do it again. She loved working on the Santos campaign.

Also, Evita didn't get pregnant in the show. She was already starting to show. And if she and Finn got good jobs after the campaign was over, she wanted to keep the babies. She wanted to be a good mother. If she was doing eight shows a week, she couldn't spend the time with her children that they needed.

"Rachel?" the voice asked.

"I don't think I can do another show right now," Rachel said. "I have a job on the Santos campaign and I'm pregnant..."

"The Santos campaign is going to be over by the time the convention comes around," Alicia said. "And depending on how far along you are, it probably won't be an issue..."

"I'm going to have two young kids after the babies are born," Rachel said. "I don't think it would be fair to them to have their mom gone at night all the time..."

"So, are you saying that you don't want to do this?" Alicia asked.

Rachel knew it would be good to have a job if the campaign wasn't successful. But would it be fair to Finn and the kids to be gone so much? "I'll think about it."

"Keep this in mind," Alicia said. "After what happened with Funny Girl, it's very unlikely that you could ever work on Broadway again. We saw how talented you were in Funny Girl and at the Santos rallies, so we would like you. But lots of people won't want a girl who left after a month."

Rachel did regret her behavior in Funny Girl. She knew one thing: she wasn't going to do the same thing to the Santos campaign. She was holding on to hope that they'd sweep this week's states so they could get the nomination and not have to spend weeks worrying about who the delegates would pick.

"I'll call you in a few days," Rachel said. She said goodbye and drove back to the hotel. When she got back, Finn was sitting in a hotel room, watching TV.

"Hey," Rachel said as she walked in.

Finn smiled up at Rachel. "Hey."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Finn said.

Rachel figured she'd tell Finn. "So, I got a call from a Broadway producer."

"And?" Finn asked.

"They want me to be in a revival of Evita," Rachel said. "That was always one of my dream roles, but I just can't, Finn. I can't do that to our kids. I can't be gone all the time in the evening. Plus, I'm not leaving the campaign. I care way too much about it."

"Wow," Finn said. "I'm proud of you for getting that offer."

"Thanks," Rachel said. "In the past, I would have jumped. But that's not my focus right now. You and the kids are."

"You really seem to want to keep the kids," Finn said.

"Don't you?" Rachel asked.

"Of course, I just want to make sure we can provide for them," Finn said. "You're not the only one who got a call..."

"What happened?" Rachel asked.

"Mr. Schue called," Finn said. "They're bringing back the glee club at McKinley and he wants me to run it."

"Really?" Rachel asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to Lima after all this was over, but it would be money...

"Yeah, he put pressure on me, but I can't do it," Finn said. "They'd need me at the beginning of the school year. The election's in November."

"Yeah," Rachel said. Of course, there was the fear that they wouldn't get the nomination...

"You're being so quiet," Finn said.

"This is so real," Rachel said. "Tomorrow we'll find out the genders..."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I still have no idea what they are."

"Since the Santoses are having one of each, it would be nice if we did, too," Rachel said. "Do you think we'll get the nomination?" She wanted so badly for them to get it. If they didn't, Finn would probably enjoy leading the glee club, but they'd still be upset about not getting the nomination. They'd put their hearts and souls into this campaign, and if they didn't get the nomination, it would be devastating.

"I do," Finn said. "I have faith." He paused. "Mr. Schue sounded almost as if he didn't want him to get it..."

"Well, he hasn't posted anything about who he's voting for on social media," Rachel said. "I know Ms. Pillsbury - Mrs. Schuester now - is voting for Matt, but he never commented on her posts..."

"So he probably isn't voting for him," Finn said. "I do want the glee club to be brought back, but I don't want to turn my back on the campaign."

"I agree," Rachel said. "Maybe we could find someone else to run the glee club... I'm surprised Mr. Schue isn't doing it."

"He said he likes the perks at Carmel," Finn admitted. "What would you think of going back to Ohio?"

"I don't know," Rachel admitted. "After the campaign, I'm obviously hoping we'll get jobs in the administration, but if we don't..."

"We have time to decide," Finn said, hugging Rachel.

x

"I wonder what they'll be," Finn said as he and Rachel sat in the hotel room, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

"Well, I'm hoping for a boy and a girl, too," Rachel said. "I've always wanted one of each."

"So you want to stop at two?" Finn asked.

"Well, it would be nice to have a few, maybe three or four in all," Rachel said. "What do you think?"

"I agree, I would like one or two more," Finn said. "I always did picture us driving a minivan full of kids."

Neither Finn nor Rachel realized that they both had a future in mind with each other, but they'd just been talking about their future kids as if it was nothing. The doctor came in before either of them could say anything. "Hey guys."

"Hi," Rachel said.

"So, today, you guys will find out," the doctor said.

"I know, I'm so excited," Finn said.

"You guys have a big week," the doctor said, putting gel on Rachel's stomach and beginning to move the wand around.

"That's them," Rachel said as she smiled and pointed at the screen.

"Yeah," Finn said, taking Rachel's hand. "They're getting big." He turned to the doctor. "How are they doing?"

"They're great, want to know the genders?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah!" Finn and Rachel said with enthusiasm.

The doctor continued the scan. "Well, this one's a boy... and this one's a girl."

"We knew it," Finn said, smiling at Rachel. They had a son and a daughter.

x

A few days later, the Santos campaign sat in their DC suite, waiting for the final returns to come in from the primary season. At a hotel down the street was the Russell campaign. This could very well be the last night of the campaign. If Russell won all of tonight's states...

Finn couldn't let his mind go there. They'd worked as hard as they could this week and they still had significantly more momentum than the Russell campaign. Finn and Rachel had told their friends from glee and the campaign the genders of the babies, as well as Finn's family, and they were so happy for them. Rachel had texted Shelby and her dads.

"And we have our first calls of the evening," the anchor said. "We are prepared to call both New Jersey and the District of Columbia for Texas Congressman Matt Santos."

The room broke into applause and cheers as Finn pulled Rachel in for a hug. They'd won the first two states, including the biggest state of this week. Even if they didn't win any more, they'd gotten the biggest state.

"If he wins all six tonight, he'll have the nomination in the bag," Rachel said, smiling widely at Finn.

"Yeah," Finn said.

Some more time passed before more polls closed. About two hours later came a double dose of bad news - North and South Dakota had both gone to Russell.

"He's from the Plains States," Rachel said, clearly nervous. "It would make sense for him to win Plains States..."

"Yeah, but we won his home state," Finn said. "Come on, do you really think he'd get it without his home state?"

"I don't know," Rachel said. The campaign staff talked amongst themselves, but everyone was clearly nervous. During commercial breaks, the eating disorder ad and the Santos baby ad both aired.

After the commercial break, the final two states were called. New Mexico went to the Santos column and Montana went to the Russell column.

"And here is the map," the anchor said. "As you can see, the dark blue states are Russell states, light blue states are Santos states. Santos has a lead, but neither has enough delegates to get the nomination. The nomination will be decided at the Democratic National convention..."

All along, this had been a possibility. Now, it was actually happening. On one hand, Finn was glad they'd gotten this far. But at the same time, he was nervous. If they'd gotten the nomination tonight, there would be one less thing to be nervous about...

x

"Congratulations on a well run campaign." It was the next morning, and before the Santos campaign left DC, the DNC chair had requested another meeting.

"Thank you," Matt said. "We'll keep campaigning hard all summer for the nomination."

"When I met with Russell, he told me to tell you his offer is still open," McGarry said.

"Didn't we already tell him we passed?" Finn said, not wanting to get into this again.

"Well, it'll avoid a nasty floor fight if you take it," said another DNC officer.

"Also known as great television," Rachel said. "Isn't that what conventions are supposed to be for?"

"We want Vinick to be unseated, don't we?" McGarry asked.

"Yes, and that's why I'm not giving up," Matt said.

"Well, this deal could set you up as the frontrunner in four or eight years," Josh said, clearly trying to find something positive for us."

"Or he'll be so tainted by association when Russell loses, no one will vote for him for dogcatcher," Helen said.

"I don't think anyone elects dogcatchers anymore," Josh said.

"My dad ran for dogcatcher," Helen said.

"Really?" Josh asked.

"No!" Matt interjected.

"We need a nominee," McGarry said. "Maybe you could offer Russell the same deal?"

"I'm pretty sure I know who I want for VP and it's not Russell," Matt said.

Clearly, the candidate himself had some confidence if he had a vice president in mind. "You're a three term congressman being given a shot at the second most powerful job in the world," Donna said to Matt.

"Aren't we discussing the vice presidency?" Helen asked.

Had the DNC called this meeting to try to talk the campaign into taking the VP deal? "Is there anything else that I should know for the next few weeks?" Matt asked.

"Just keep campaigning," McGarry said before he and the other DNC officers shared some advice. After the DNC officers left, the staff was left in the room. Finn and Rachel couldn't help but be proud that their candidate was standing his ground and remembering that he was running for president, not vice president.

Hopefully the delegates would agree that he was the best choice...

 _Chapter 23 preview: The Santos campaign heads to the convention - will all their hard work pay off? Finchel also see their families at the convention._


	23. Chapter 23: The Convention

_Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all your support. I really appreciate it. With one year post-Glee creeping up on us, I've had Finchel on my mind a lot - it makes me sad to see so fewer Finchel fanfics and reviews, so I appreciate all of you. Thanks again so much for everything. Just for the record, I forgot to mention that some of the dialogue in the last chapter was borrowed from The West Wing, as is the speech in this chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 23: The Convention

Finn and Rachel sat in the campaign's suite, making calls to the chairs of the chairs of each state's Democratic Party, hoping to convince them to get their delegates to vote for their candidate. It was hard to believe that the convention was already here. Back when they started, they obviously hoped they would get this far, but there was always that sliver of doubt that they wouldn't.

Finn and Rachel were very happy, but also very nervous. The summer had been fun without the stress of more primaries, but there was still convincing to do. For one thing, the campaign had switched from taking a plane around to taking a bus - the Santos family was traveling with the campaign since the kids were out of school for the summer, and Helen was too far along in her pregnancy to fly. Even after her babies were born, Rachel wouldn't be able to fly.

Having the kids along had helped both Finn and Rachel realize how much they liked kids and that they wanted to keep the babies. They would sometimes play with the kids at the hotels and after the rallies. It had also made Finn and Rachel think of their future kids - growing close to the Santos kids had made Finn and Rachel not want their kids to go through what these kids were going through when it came to not knowing who their sibling was.

As Finn and Rachel finished calls, Rachel felt something in her stomach. This was something she hadn't felt it before. As it continued, Rachel knew what it was - the babies were kicking.

Rachel put Finn's hand on her stomach. "Did you feel that?"

"They're kicking?" Finn asked, smiling at Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "They wanted to say hi to Daddy."

"Daddy," Finn said softly.

"How does that go for you?" Rachel asked.

"I do like the sound of it," Finn admitted.

"Me too," Rachel said. "I really, really want to keep them... but I'm scared."

"I am too," Finn said. "What if we aren't good enough parents?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Rachel admitted. "I really, really want to be a good mom, but I'm worried I won't be. What if we don't have enough money or can't get a nice place? I want to give them the best life possible..."

"My parents are willing to help," Finn said.

"I know," Rachel sighed. "But I do feel bad for putting the burden on them..."

"They love us," Finn pointed out. "They love the babies."

"I don't want the babies to go through what I've been through with not knowing who their real parents are, and when we have more kids in the future, I want them to know their siblings... I wish that my brother and sister could meet their niece and nephew, and I know that the whole thing with the baby Matt had with his college girlfriend has been confusing for Peter and Miranda. Of course, I want my birth dad to get to meet our babies, too, and I wish my dads who raised me would be more supportive, and Shelby too..."

"It seemed like things were distant with you and your dads the last time we saw them," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "They'll be at the convention this week... I hope things aren't too awkward..."

"Me too," Finn said. "We've called all the state party chairs, what do you say we take a break and go get something to eat?"

"I'd love to," Rachel said.

x

Finn took Rachel's hand as they walked into the convention hall. A red, white and blue balloon arch was over the stage. There were maps of the United States with every state colored in blue. Blue lights were flashing everywhere. The biggest American flag Finn had ever seen was flying in the center of the hall. Russell and Santos signs crowded the hall, as did signs for each state.

"Wow," Rachel said.

"Yeah, wow," Finn said. "This is amazing."

"I watched the 2012 one, but it's so amazing actually being here," Rachel said. "And we'll perform after his acceptance speech..."

Finn smiled at Rachel's optimism. "You know he'll get it."

"Don't you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. He hoped so. He had to stop worrying eventually.

Josh came running over to Finn and Rachel. "Finn... Rachel... Baker's trying to throw himself back in the race..."

"What?" Finn gasped. Baker was the governor of Pennsylvania. He'd finished third in the first few primaries, but then quit the race, saying he felt he was abandoning his responsibilities as governor by campaigning for president.

So why was he coming back?

"Yeah," Josh said. "There's been a Draft Baker movement going on... but I didn't think he'd pull this."

"He can't do that!" Rachel gasped. "We stuck this out. Russell stuck it out. Baker can't do this to us and to the Russell campaign... he quit the primaries..."

"I'm not happy about this either," Josh said. "He's probably going to take some of our East Coast votes..."

Finn's heart skipped a beat. The East Coast had been one of the Santos campaign's strong suits...

"I should have suspected something when I saw those 'Draft Baker' signs," Rachel snapped.

"The senior staff has been talking to him," Josh said. "Maybe he should take Russell's deal..."

"What? No!" Finn gasped. "He's running for president, not vice president!"

A few of the senior staff members came over. "You told them?" Donna asked.

"Yes, and he shouldn't take the deal!" Rachel said. "Russell's not going to win!"

"If he's our nominee, won't you support him?" Anna asked.

"Well, yes, but it'll be one of those cases of supporting a candidate because he's not Vinick," Finn groaned.

"None of us wanted to be in this situation..." Bram began.

"And that's why we can't do it," Rachel said. "We need to keep fighting."

x

Now that there was a third candidate putting his name in the race, things were even crazier. The first two ballots had come and gone, and there was still no nominee. Finn and Rachel could picture Vinick, wherever he was, drinking wine and laughing.

The candidates had gone back to their hotels to make calls. If there had only been two candidates, maybe there would have been a nominee by now.

Finn knocked on the door of the Santos family's suite. The rest of the staff seemed to be ready to give up and tell their candidate to give in to the Russell offer - and Finn and Rachel had agreed they needed to talk to him before he did.

When Finn and Rachel knocked on the door, Helen came to answer it. Rachel noticed that most of the senior staff was there, and so was McGarry and some other people from the DNC.

Rachel looked at Finn. This couldn't be good. She just looked at Matt. "You can't quit."

"Nice to have someone other than me telling him that," Helen said, giving the other people in the room an annoyed look.

"We've spent over a year working so hard to get him nominated president and now you're all telling him to be Bingo Bob's VP?" Finn said. "We didn't sign up for this."

"We didn't," Matt said.

"Yeah, we didn't," Finn said. "This guy who we've spent the past year campaigning for has the potential to be the best president this country has ever seen and you're all ready to give up? I feel like I don't even know the people who I spent the past year working with."

Rachel couldn't help but feel so proud of Finn right now. She wanted to kiss him, but was worried it would seem unprofessional to do it in front of so many big names. "He's right," Rachel said.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Matt admitted. "I want to stick it out to the end..."

"And you should!" Rachel said. "You have all the momentum... you're the best candidate..."

"You really found something special with these two, they aren't willing to give up," McGarry pointed out.

"They are, aren't they?" Matt asked.

"We don't want to do this either," Josh said. "But the convention can't be a mess... and he'll be set up as the frontrunner in four or eight years..."

"No, he's going to have his career ended when Russell gets run over by Vinick," Helen snapped. "We didn't do this so he could be the second fiddle to a vice president who the president he was vice president to didn't even endorse..."

After the DNC officials left, there was another knock on the door. When Rachel went to the door, she saw Will Bailey, the Russell campaign manager, at the door. "May I help you?"

"I'd like to speak to your campaign manager," Bailey said.

"We don't want to be Russell's vice president," Rachel said.

"Rachel..." Josh said, coming over. "We haven't made a final decision yet."

Bailey handed Josh some papers. "Look at these. This is why Baker quit the primaries."

"What are those?" Matt asked coming over.

"Baker quit the race because his wife was hospitalized for clinical depression," Bailey said. "He thinks he can get away with covering this up?"

"It has nothing to do with what type of president he'd be," Matt said.

"Says the guy who wouldn't talk about an eating disorder and a child he had with a college girlfriend," Bailey said.

Rachel knew she didn't like Russell's campaign manager. Luckily, Matt spoke first. "I don't want to be Russell's vice president, Mr. Bailey."

"We can get someone else," Bailey said. "But we need Baker out of the way. If your campaign can leak these..."

"What? No!" Matt said. "And you wonder why I don't want to be associated Russell's vice president..."

"This can benefit you, too," Bailey said.

"We aren't that type of campaign," Finn said. "We don't smear people."

x

Things were getting even more chaotic. There had been two more ballots and there was still no nominee. Finn and Rachel had asked for some time to go out to relax. They'd talked on the phone with their friends and gone out for lunch.

When Finn and Rachel got back to the hall and went to the room where the Santos staff was, Finn was surprised to see Burt and Carole there. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted them with you when we told you two," Josh said. "We do have some news that isn't going to be easy to hear..."

Rachel gulped. "He's speaking to the delegates tonight, and we have a feeling he's dropping out..." Josh said. "The DNC officials have been encouraging him to..."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"I hate this too," Josh said. "I'm the one who flew down to Houston to talk him into it. I didn't want it to come down to this. But things are one big mess. The Russell campaign leaked Baker's wife's hospital records..."

"I feel sick," Rachel groaned.

"I'm so sorry," Carole said. "We wanted this, too."

Rachel wanted to cry. Maybe this was something that had to be done. This was about beating Vinick, wasn't it? But it still hurt.

"Where is he?" Finn asked.

"He wants the rest of the day to himself," Burt said. "He'll be speaking tonight..."

x

This was it.

All their hard work might be coming to a close.

They'd had a good run, but all things had to come to an end.

Finn looked over at Rachel. He didn't know what would come next for them. Maybe they could go finish up their degrees, but he doubted it would be like working on the campaign. He'd hoped against hope that they would triumph. Russell wouldn't step aside though.

The people from the DNC had been right. They needed a nominee. From the beginning, everyone thought that it would be Russell... Finn listened to the MC speak, "A decorated fighter pilot, a Marine and a proud graduate of America's Naval Academy, and the former mayor of Houston, a man who built bridges across different races and religions, an advocate of health care, education and economic opportunity. From the great state of Texas, Congressman Matthew Santos!"

Finn and Rachel listened to the crowd's cheers as they watched Matt step on to the stage. They hadn't seen tonight's speech. No one had. Maybe it was for the better.

Finn looked over at Rachel. She looked so sad, it broke Finn's heart. Finn put his arm around Rachel as the speech began. "You know, I'd hoped to be standing here tonight under very different circumstances, and I have been asked by people that I respect to take this opportunity to support one of the other fine candidates who have made this race with me, to help decide who our nominee will be..."

This was it. It was all ending. Finn fought back tears. He wasn't just sad for himself and Rachel, he was sad for the country. As much as he disliked Vinick, he didn't think that Russell could beat Vinick...

"But I can't do that."

Finn's thoughts were interrupted when he heard that. The crowd gasped. Finn looked at Rachel, who was now forming a slight smile.

"I can't do that because it's not my place to decide who our nominee should be. That decision is yours and yours alone. You know, there's been a great deal made today of Governor Baker's decision not to disclose his wife's minor medical condition. Many people believe that he should have, but I don't believe Governor Baker failed to disclose it because he was ashamed or embarrassed. I think he didn't disclose it because we're the hypocrites, not the Bakers. Because we're all broken, every single one of us, and yet we pretend that we're not. We all live lives of imperfection, and yet we cling to this fantasy that there's a perfect life and that our leaders should embody it. But if we expect our leaders to live on some higher moral plane than the rest of us, well, we're just asking to be deceived."

Finn's thoughts went back to the first smear ad back shortly after he joined the campaign. Matt Santos himself had been a victim of being smeared for a medical condition. When he himself was smeared, he'd said similar things, but it was even more powerful this time.

And he was right. Everyone was broken. Finn and Rachel had joined this campaign because they were broken. After graduating high school, they'd been lost, scared, confused, struggling to find their place in the world.

Rachel looked over at Finn. Finn could tell that she was thinking the same thing. Finn smiled at Rachel as they continued to listen to the speech.

"Now, it's been suggested to me this week that I should try to buy your support with jobs and the promise of access. It's been suggested to me that party unity is more important than your democratic rights as delegates. That's right, it's not, and you have a decision to make. Don't vote for us because you think we're perfect. Don't vote for us because of what we might be able to do for you only. Vote for the person who shares your ideals, your hopes, your dreams. Vote for the person who most embodies what you believe we need to keep our nation strong and free. And when you have done that, you can go back to Seattle and Boston, to Miami, to Omaha, to Tulsa and Chicago and Atlanta with your head held high, and say, 'I am a member of the Democratic Party!'"

The crowd erupted in cheers. These were the delegates, the people who would choose the nominee. There had been lots of crowds throughout the campaign, but this was the loudest and most enthusiastic Finn had heard.

"Wow," Rachel said, smiling at Finn.

"Yeah, wow," Finn said. "I'm so glad he listened to us and didn't quit."

"Me too," Rachel said. "That's our candidate, Finn."

"And that will be our president," Finn said.

After the speech, the fourth ballot began. The Santos states held strong, and other states began moving into the Santos column.

Within an hour, the delegates had made a decision. Matt Santos was going to be the Democratic nominee for president.

"We did it," Finn said, smiling at Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel said. Today had been a roller coaster of emotions. As much as they hadn't wanted to, this morning, Finn and Rachel had thought this was over. It wasn't over. It was far from over. They were going all the way to the general - and Finn knew that they could win the whole thing.

x

Finn and Rachel had performed Don't Stop Believing the next day, when the DNC officially named the nominee. The Santos campaign had announced the vice presidential nominee they had picked out, Sam Seaborn, the Senator from California. Baker and Russell had both delivered concession speeches and after Finn and Rachel's performance came the introductions of the presidential and vice presidential nominees. Burt was part of the introduction speech, but Finn and Rachel could hardly pay attention to the speeches. They were too happy with how everything had gone, that against all odds, they'd prevailed.

Finn's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Burt wrap up the interruption. "And now, it gives me a great pleasure to introduce to you the leaders of our party and the next President and Vice President of the United States, Matthew Vincente Santos and Samuel Norman Seaborn!"

"We did it," Rachel said, smiling at Finn.

"Yeah, we did," Finn said, taking Rachel's hand. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of you," Rachel said. "I can't believe we actually did it."

"A year ago, did you think this was where you'd be, at this time this year?" Finn asked.

"No, but I'm so, so happy," Rachel said.

Finn held Rachel's hand. "Me too. Just think, we'll be taking him all the way to the White House..."

Rachel moved Finn's hand onto her stomach and Finn felt a flutter of kicks. "They're happy, too."

"Of course they are," Rachel said. "I think they're proud of Mommy and Daddy."

As the acceptance speeches continued, Finn and Rachel's phones began vibrating with congratulatory text messages from their friends. One text stood out to Finn - a text from Mr. Schue. "Finn, I am so proud of you and Rachel and what you've done. I'm so sorry that I was putting pressure on you to quit. You and Rachel are doing a great thing and the Santos campaign needs you two. You got me doing some thinking - I've decided to go back to McKinley and revive the New Directions. Keep up the great work!"

Finn smiled to himself as he showed the text to Rachel. Things were getting better and better - their candidate had the nomination, and the glee club was coming back.

The speeches soon wrapped up, and the crowd was full of Santos-Seaborn 2016 signs. It was time for Finn and Rachel to perform as the candidates and their families waved to the crowds. Earlier today, Finn and Rachel didn't think they'd get to perform again. Instead, they were performing twice.

 _Rachel: Crazy but I'm relieved this time_

 _Begging for sweet relief of blessing in disguise_

 _Finn: Dying behind these tired eyes_

 _I've been losin' sleep, please come to me tonight_

 _Finn and Rachel: Hands on a_ _miracle_ _, I got my hands on a miracle_

 _Leave it or not, hands on a miracle_

 _And there ain't no way, let you take it away_

 _Finn: Everything that we survived_

 _It's gonna be alright, just lucky we're alive_

 _Rachel: Got no vision I've been blind_

 _Searchin' everywhere, you're right here in my sights_

 _Finn and Rachel: Hands on a_ _miracle_ _, I got my hands on a miracle_

 _Leave it or not, hands on a miracle_

 _And there ain't no way, let you take it away_

 _Hands on a_ _miracle_ _, I got my hands on a miracle_

 _Leave it or not, hands on a miracle_

 _I got my hands on a miracle_

 _And there ain't no way, let you take it away_

 _Take it away, take it away_

Rachel looked into Finn's eyes at the end of the song. Since the crowd's eyes were on the candidates, Finn figured this time, it was okay to lean in and kiss Rachel. Some of the balloons and confetti from the drop landed on them, and at this moment, it was just Finn and Rachel. The world had stopped.

x

As the campaign began leaving the hall, Rachel heard a voice. "Rachel..."

Rachel turned and saw her dads walking toward her. How had they found the campaign? Rachel decided to try to be civil. "Hey, Russell had a good run..."

Neither Hiram nor LeRoy looked happy. "So, you're sticking it out, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," Rachel said. "We need to get Matt Santos in the White House."

"Oh, so you two think that he's going to beat Vinick?" Hiram asked.

"He got the nomination, didn't he?" Finn asked.

"What about that Broadway offer you got?" LeRoy asked.

"I can't very well do it when I'm pregnant," Rachel said. "And once the babies get here, I don't want to be gone all the time..."

"Shouldn't you be happy for Rachel?" Finn asked. "She worked on a campaign that helped get a little known congressman nominated for president... it's a pretty great thing, I think."

"This isn't the girl we raised," LeRoy said. "We raised a star."

Rachel groaned. She didn't want to have to deal with this now. She wanted to celebrate.

"Rachel IS a star," Finn said.

Burt and Matt came over. "Hiram, LeRoy, good to see you," Burt said, clearly trying to be polite.

"Your guy ran a good campaign," Matt added.

"You," LeRoy snapped, looking at Matt. "You've ruined our daughter."

"What?" Rachel asked. What was this about?

"Since when is she blonde?" LeRoy asked. "Since when does she have short hair, or more piercings, or a tattoo? And those clothes..."

Rachel groaned. Her hair had lighter highlights and was to her shoulders now, but she wasn't blonde. She only had two more piercings in each ear... yes, she and Finn had gotten 'Finchel' tattoos, but he didn't have a right to give her a hard time about it. She was wearing a dark green skirt with the white top with the matching collar, silver high heels, a 14 karat gold necklace and a pink suede belt... she didn't think that was objectionable.

"I think we should call the secret service to escort you two out," Burt said. "Now that he's the presidential nominee..."

"Wait," Rachel said. "I want to say something. Dad, Daddy, for 22 years, you put pressure on me to be the best. No one could be even close to me. Because I was raised that way, I became a person I didn't like, someone who would run over anyone and anything to get to the top. For years, no one liked me because of that. You never gave me a chance to develop myself, only to be the person you wanted me to be. Well, for the past year, for the first time, I've part of something bigger than myself. I still love performing with Finn at events, like I loved performing with the glee club. But for you guys, it wasn't even about enjoying it. You wanted me to be the brightest star out there and to kill people I loved to get to the top. I grew up for a while thinking that was okay, but once I met Finn, I realized it wasn't. It's okay to not be the best. All acting like that did was drive people away. I'm sorry for disappointing you, but I'm not going to be that person anymore. I'm sticking with the Santos campaign, which is something I love doing and something I care about. I'm sorry for being such a disappointment, but I've spent my whole life trying to please you that I don't even know what I want for myself. The past year has made me wonder - would you love me if I wasn't so talented? I haven't felt very loved by you in the past year because I'm doing something that isn't your first choice. I'm not saying you have to like the candidate I'm working for, but the way you've been treating him and Finn and me and this campaign is not something I approve of. And until you snap out of it, I don't want you in my life. Get out of here, because I want to celebrate tonight's victory with my boyfriend and my friends."

Hiram and LeRoy were led away by security, and Rachel began wondering - had she taken things too far? Her dads didn't look happy...

Her thoughts were interrupted when Finn took her arm. "Are you okay?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Come on, let's go crack out the champagne."

"Well, sparkling water for you and Helen," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Let's go celebrate. I'm not going to let them get in the way." She followed Finn a room where other campaign staff had already set up a celebration with balloons, streamers and cake, with champagne glasses being poured.

Finn poured a glass of sparkling water and handed it to Rachel as he picked up a cup of champagne for himself. "To Santos-Seaborn 2016."

Rachel clicked her glass against Finn's. "To Santos-Seaborn 2016." She leaned over and kissed Finn, so happy that they'd shared this journey together.

 _Chapter 24 preview: Finchel do something special to celebrate being in each other's lives again for a year. Meanwhile, Finn begins to suspect something about Rachel's family and things heat up for the campaign._


	24. Chapter 24: One Year

_Hey! Thanks so much for all the support. I appreciate it so much. I know this chapter is a bit fluffier than some of the others, but I really like writing Finchel fluff and I've missed writing it, plus I thought Finchel could use a little break from the drama. (Though there's plenty of drama between now and the election...) Thank you all so much for your support as always, I can't say how much I appreciate it. My five-year anniversary on fanfic is coming up, so in case I don't update before then, thank you so much for five great years. Enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 24: One Year

After the convention and the nomination officially being theirs, the campaign was in heaven. The stress of trying to get the nomination was gone, though they now of course had to focus their energy on winning the general. They knew it was going to be tough, but Finn liked to think that they could do it.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing on Finn's mind. It was around this time last year that he and Rachel had both joined the campaign. The one-year anniversary of them joining the campaign was coming up - the one-year anniversary of them being back in each other's lives.

Finn didn't even want to think about what his life would be like now if he and Rachel hadn't gotten these jobs on the campaign. He'd probably still be at University of Lima and the tire shop, just doing those things to pass the time. Maybe he would have found a girl or two, but he couldn't imagine being as happy with any girl as he was with Rachel.

He remembered what he'd been told by the candidate shortly after joining the campaign: that if two people were meant to be together, the universe had its way of working things out for them. That had definitely been the case for him and Rachel. They'd both grown up a lot and Finn thought that since they'd gotten back together, they were stronger than they'd ever been before. When they'd talked about their issues in the hotel that day early in the campaign, it seemed to relieve those burdens. Finn didn't feel any insecurities or any stress in the relationship. The fear of Rachel leaving him was gone. He'd always hoped that they would get back together and be together forever - and now, he was more sure than ever that they were going to be together forever.

He'd only be lying to himself if he said he hadn't thought about getting engaged again. The ring was at his parents' house in his bedroom drawer. Sometimes when he missed Rachel during their time apart, he'd get it out and hold it close to him. Maybe he could give it to Rachel again... or maybe he should get a new ring for her...

Anyway, since this was the one-year anniversary of being back in each other's lives, Finn wanted today to be a special day, just for him and Rachel. The campaign was in Chicago and he'd gotten approved to have the day off so he and Rachel could have some special time together.

x

When Rachel woke up in her hotel room in Chicago, she noticed Finn was nowhere in sight. Josh had told her that she and Finn could have today off, but where was Finn? Today marked one year since they'd been back in each other's lives, so she knew she wanted to spend the day with him.

Rachel felt a flutter of kicks in her stomach. "You miss Daddy, too?" Rachel whispered, rubbing her stomach. "I wonder where he went..." She turned on her phone to text Finn to ask him where he was, but there was a new text from him: "Meet me at Wrigley Field."

Rachel wondered what Finn was up to, but she quickly got dressed and went to the field, a few blocks away from their hotel. To her surprise, when she arrived, she saw something lit up on the board outside the entrance "3 Finn and Rachel 3"

Rachel had to smile to herself. What was Finn up to? She went up to the entrance of the field, where a staff member was there. "So you're Rachel, huh?" the staff member asked. "I recognize you from the photos."

Rachel began wondering what was going on even more. "Yeah."

"Finn's inside waiting for you," the staff member said.

Rachel walked into the field. The campaign had an rally here last night, complete with her singing Cannonball and both her and Finn singing Don't Stop Believing, endorsements from some of the Cubs and some support from local politicians, and a fireworks show at the end. The stadium had been completely full and Rachel was surprised as to how different it looked when it was completely empty now.

But Finn was there. He was standing on the pitcher's mound. Rachel ran up to him and hugged him. "Hey baby. What are you up to?"

"You remember what today is, right?" Finn asked.

"Of course I do," Rachel said, glad Finn had remembered as well. "It was on this day last year that we saw each other for the first time in three years."

"Yeah," Finn said, pulling Rachel in for a hug. "And you know why I wanted us to start our day together off here?"

Then the answer came to Rachel. "Oh my gosh... you still remember senior year when you said it would be fun to get married on the pitcher's mound here!"

"I'm glad you remember, too," Finn said, kissing Rachel.

Rachel felt some kicking again and moved Finn's hand to her stomach. "They were wondering where you were this morning..."

"I'm sorry guys," Finn said. "I was preparing a surprise for Mommy... don't worry, once you guys get here we'll plan surprises for you..."

Rachel smiled at how cute Finn was being. "Finn, you're so cute."

"Not as cute as you!" Finn said. "Do you think this would have been a good place for a wedding?"

Rachel was thinking again - she'd love to marry Finn one day. "Yeah, I do, though there is some dirt."

"Dirt, huh?" Finn asked, throwing a handful of dirt at Rachel.

"Finn!" Rachel laughed, throwing a handful at him. "That's not what you do to a pregnant woman."

"Please, these are my kids, they'll be getting dirty!" Finn said.

"Don't listen to your daddy!" Rachel said. "You'll be clean, like your mommy."

"We can stop at the hotel to shower before the next stop," Finn said.

"There's a next stop?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "But for now, let's just spend some time here."

x

Finn and Rachel had gone to lunch after they spent some time at the field. It had been fun hanging out with Rachel and hearing her talk about potential weddings. Maybe they could get engaged again...

After Finn and Rachel showered at the hotel, Finn led Rachel to their next destination - the cloud gate. This was one of Chicago's most famous landmarks. When Finn and Rachel approached it, Rachel spoke right away. "Wow, this is so cool!"

"It is, isn't it?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I'd forgotten, but we got our team photo taken there with the glee club senior year..."

"Of course I remember," Finn said. "Remember, Brittany said it looked like a jelly bean."

"Yeah, I remember," Rachel said. "That was a fun week."

"It was," Finn agreed. "I wonder if our little guys will be in their school's glee clubs when they're old enough."

"I hope so," Rachel said.

Finn looked down at Rachel's stomach. "We'll need to take the kids here. After all, this is where we won our first national championship..."

"Of course we will!" Rachel said. "And we'll have to take them to New York too since that's where we had our first big date, and DC because of the campaign..."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I wonder where we'll be living with them..."

"Me too," Rachel said. "You know, we hadn't made an official decision about what we'll do when we get here, but we both have planned a future with them in it..."

Finn hadn't realized that. "Yeah. The four of us need to spend our lives together."

"We do," Rachel said. "We can do it. We have money from the campaign and support from your family... and I'm sure that we can get good jobs because of these jobs..."

"What about your family?" Finn asked.

Rachel sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake for me to tell my dads not to contact me... they haven't contacted me since the fight at the convention..."

"Rachel, you don't need them," Finn said. "You have me, the kids, our friends from glee and the campaign, my family..."

"I just wish I hadn't screwed up though," Rachel admitted. "There've been difficulties between us, me working for a candidate who wasn't their first choice, the truth about my biological father..."

Suddenly, an idea crept into Finn's mind, one that he couldn't shake. He'd heard things about Rachel's biological father that she'd been told by Shelby and by Rachel's dads. Things lined up a bit. The description of Rachel's biological father fit someone he and Rachel knew... knew very well...

"You're quiet all of a sudden," Rachel commented.

"Oh, I don't know why," Finn lied. Maybe he was being a bit paranoid. There were probably thousands of guys in the country - in the world - whose stories were pretty similar to that of Rachel's biological father.

"It's fine," Rachel said. She got out her iPhone. "Come on, let's get a selfie of us by the jelly bean."

x

Finn and Rachel had spent the afternoon at the Chicago zoo and aquarium, and right now, they were having dinner on a pier near Lake Michigan. "I'm so glad we could spend the one-year anniversary of us being in each other's lives again for a year together, just the two of us, all day," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn said. Since the rest of the campaign had gone down to spend the day in Springfield and at University of Illinois, Finn and Rachel were the only people they knew in Chicago right now.

"We'll be back in action tomorrow though," Rachel said. "And I am excited to sing with you again."

"We sing together practically every day," Finn laughed.

"It can make up for the three years lost," Rachel said. "Anyway, how's your food?"

"It's great," Finn said. "How's yours?"

"It's also good," Rachel said. "Since you planned today, I insist I pay for dinner."

"Rachel!" Finn said. He'd wanted today to be all his.

Rachel handed the waiter her credit card as he walked by, then smirked at Finn. "You!" Finn said.

"You love me, admit it," Rachel said.

"Of course I do," Finn said.

"I love you too," Rachel said, coming over and hugging Finn, then kissing him on the cheek.

After Rachel paid for the meal, Finn had one more surprise. "Come on, I have one more thing for you."

"One more?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. He reached into his bag and pulled out his swimsuit and Rachel's. He'd snuck their swimsuits into the bags when Rachel had been in the shower. "Come on, let's go to the beach."

"The beach?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, we have Lake Michigan right here," Finn said. "Let's go swimming."

"Okay," Rachel said. "I know you just want to see me in my bikini, but I'll admit, I want to see you in your swimsuit."

"I do," Finn admitted. When he and Rachel headed down to the beach, a beach staff member looked at Finn. "Your wife is really pretty."

Finn didn't want to correct that Rachel wasn't his wife. He hoped more than anything that Rachel would be his wife one day.

x

Finn and Rachel's day off together was fun, but it was nice to be back in business. The campaign had arrived in Iowa, another place that was special to both Finn and Rachel. After all, it was here that they'd officially gotten back together.

The day for celebrating had been yesterday. The Republicans' convention was this week, so the Santos campaign had to work harder than ever. A big rally was going to be held today at the University of Iowa at which Finn and Rachel would perform.

Rachel hadn't stopped thinking about the way she and Finn had talked about their future yesterday. It was so good to know that Finn also was thinking about a future together without a second thought. And now that she knew Finn also wanted to keep the babies, Rachel felt so much better.

Spending time with kids on the trail had also made Rachel think Finn could be a great dad. They babysat together in high school, but she was glad that side of him hadn't changed. The Santos kids clearly adored him - Peter often asked to go to football and baseball games with Finn and loved Finn's xbox games, and Miranda had told Rachel that when she was old enough, she hoped that she could have a boyfriend who was cute like Finn. This morning, Finn and Rachel had spent some time at the hotel pool with Peter, Miranda and the Seaborns' two-year-old son, Grayson, and watching Finn with the kids made Rachel so excited to see Finn playing with their own kids.

"Hey," Finn said, coming over. "I have a new poll."

Rachel groaned. "Do I want to know what the poll says?"

"We're tied," Finn said.

"Well, their convention is this week, so I guess it's a good thing they aren't ahead," Rachel said. "Everyone's supposed to get a bounce from the convention..."

"The devil himself speaks tomorrow night," Finn said.

"Oh, I know," Rachel said. "I'm not sure if I want to know what he'll say..."

"Me either," Finn said. "Does it feel good to be back in Iowa?"

"It does," Rachel said. "It was here where we had our first victory and where we got back together."

"Yeah," Rachel said, leaning in and kissing Finn. "Ready to go out there?"

"Yeah," Finn said.

x

"Matt Santos is an idiot," Vinick said on TV as Finn and Rachel watched from their hotel room. "Claiming that three congress terms qualifies you to be President is like someone saying they're a foreign relations expert because they ordered Kung Pao last night."

"What?" Finn gasped. "He not just insulted Matt, he insulted congress in general..."

"He served two Senate terms before he became president," Rachel pointed out.

Unfortunately, the crowd at the convention seemed to like that remark though. Vinick continued talking. "Oh, but sure, you say he's got other experience. He was mayor of Houston, on Houston City Council, in the marines... where, by the way, he wasn't a military strategist, he was a pilot. Ask him about the overhead compartment, not about defense."

"The OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT?" Rachel snapped. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Who in their right mind is voting for that guy?" Finn asked.

Vinick's speech was mostly spent insulting Matt Santos, Sam Seaborn, the campaign staff, other Democrats in congress, the previous Democratic presidents... he didn't say anything about his time as president... "It's as if he knows what a crappy president he is," Rachel said, cutting into Finn's thoughts.

"I was thinking the same thing," Finn said.

Finally, Vinick seemed to be wrapping up his speech. "I'm really hungry, so I think we should finish things up now," Vinick said as Finn and Rachel rolled their eyes. "But I'd like to thank one more person. It's because of her that this campaign is so much better than it was four years ago. She's built the best campaign in history and made me a better competitor than I thought I was..."

"He's talking about Sue, isn't he?" Finn asked. "Any other campaign manager wouldn't want him to be this nasty..."

"Yeah, he is," Rachel said. "I know it."

Sure enough, Vinick confirmed what Finn and Rachel were thinking. "I'm talking, of course, about my campaign manager, Sue Sylvester. I am so honored that Sue contacted me to say she wanted to run this campaign. Even though some of the people she brought on have had to leave us, she's still here, and it's because of her that I know we'll win this election. But Sue is more than a campaign manager to me. She is the only person in the world who I think is worthy to be First Lady of the United States..."

"So it's true," Rachel said. "They're dating."

"They deserve each other," Finn said.

"I'd like you to please join me on the stage, Sue," Vinick said as Sue came on to the stage. Vinick knelt in front of Sue as soon as she came on the stage. "Sue Sylvester, will you marry me?"

"Hell yeah!" Sue shouted.

"Another reason not to vote for him," Finn said. "We can't have her as First Lady."

"I don't know which of them scares me more," Rachel admitted.

"This is one of the many reasons why we can't give up, no matter how hard it gets," Finn said. "Those two can not be in the White House."

x

"How do the polls look?" Rachel asked. The campaign bus had just arrived in Missouri for a campaign event. She had to admit, all the bus travel could be a pain, especially since they sometimes slept on the bus, but she didn't want to complain since the campaign had switched from plane to bus so she (and Helen) could travel.

"We're two points down," Finn groaned. "I guess with the convention and his speech being last night, it makes sense, but still..."

"And the romantics probably love that he got engaged," Rachel said. "The two most disgusting people in the country getting engaged..."

"We got a bigger bump from our convention," Finn pointed out. The polls had been neck in neck all summer. There was no going around the fact that this was going to be close.

"Finn, Rachel, make sure you don't schedule any events for 9/11," Josh said as he walked by, interrupting Finn and Rachel's conversation.

"Wouldn't it be a bad idea for us to have events on 9/11 anyway?" Rachel asked.

"Well, yes, but the president called," Josh said. "He wants Matt to go to Ground Zero with him on 9/11... probably so the media can take photos of them there together and everyone can talk about how bipartisan the president is."

"That has photo op written all over it!" Finn exclaimed.

"I know that, and Matt knows that," Josh said. "But if we say no, that'll just make us look bad."

"I was really hoping we wouldn't have to see him again," Rachel said as Josh left.

"I know," Finn said. "I just hope he doesn't try to pull anything."

"In a way, I hope he does," Rachel giggled. "If he does something too un-presidential, maybe people will realize what an unfit president he is."

"God, I love you," Finn said.

Rachel leaned in and kissed Finn. "I love you too."

 _Chapter 25 preview: It's 9/11/16 and the two campaigns meet up at Ground Zero - but it's overshadowed when 9/11/16 bears similarities to 9/11/01. A major character is strongly affected by the events of 9/11/16._


	25. Chapter 25: 9 11 16

_Hi everyone. So today's it - my five year anniversary as a fanfic writer. I can't believe that it's been five years. I wanted to thank all of you so much for everything over the past five years. Your support has meant the world to me. When I joined five years ago, I didn't think the past five years would go like they did, but I'm so happy that I've been able to write so much that I'm proud of. So once again - thank you. So many Finchel fans and writers have vanished and I REALLY appreciate those of you who haven't._

 _Anyway, this chapter is one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written. I did some research before writing it, but having never been in this situation (I was 10 on 9/11/01), I know I can't fully grasp it, but I did my best. Let me know what you think and review if I should keep going._

Chapter 25: 9/11/16

Finn didn't want to do this. He knew what the president was like. He'd seen him up close over the past year. He'd had a bad feeling about Arnold Vinick since the 2012 campaign. Every time Vinick opened his mouth, something offensive came out, and how so many people had voted him in blew Finn's mind.

At the same time, Finn knew why the Santos campaign had to meet up with the Vinick campaign today. Everyone was disgusted by Vinick milking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks by setting up a "bipartisan" photo-op. Josh had been right though: if the Santos campaign turned down the invitation, Vinick would definitely leak that they did, which would make them look bad.

The campaign staff walked toward the memorial entrance, led by the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Sure enough, Vinick, Sue and some of their staff were already there. "Hey Finchel," Sue said as soon as they arrived. "What do you think of my ring? It's much better than the one you two had your senior year, isn't it?"

Finn didn't know what to say. Luckily, Rachel spoke. "Congratulations on getting engaged. You two are meant for each other."

Yes, they were, Finn thought - and that was not a compliment. Then Vinick's Vice President, Ray Sullivan, looked at the candidates. "Thank you for accepting our invitation."

"Of course," Matt said.

Finn noticed Vinick looking at the various cameras out of the corner of his eyes. The Vinick campaign had also leaked that they'd been the ones to invite the Santos campaign to do this. The groups from the campaign walked down to Ground Zero, the two presidential candidates leading the way with the two vice presidential candidates right behind. Some whispering was taking place, and Finn couldn't help but wonder what was being said.

The group stopped at Ground Zero to lay down flowers. Finn had only been seven years old at the time of the attacks, but he knew how serious it was. He knew that the country had lived in fear after the attacks. He knew how many lives were lost. And to see the President of the United States smirking, being smug and using a tragedy as an opportunity to make himself look good was sickening.

After a few moments of silence, a Vinick campaign aide said that the campaigns should probably get going, and Vinick turned to Matt, both candidates sharing the most awkward hug Finn had ever seen. No doubt this was another part of Vinick's plan.

As everyone said goodbye, the two campaigns began to walk away. However, a few secret service agents came running over. "Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Congressman Santos, Senator Seaborn, we need to get you and your families and staff to a secure area..."

"What?" Matt asked. "What's going on?"

"History is repeating itself," the secret service agent said. "It's 9/11, and America is under attack."

"What?" Finn repeated, not wanting to believe what he'd heard.

"We just need to get you inside to a safe place," the secret service agent said. "We don't know many details..."

"Where is it?" Josh asked. "Here? DC?"

"Ohio," the secret service agent said, leading the group into the basement of a building.

"Ohio?" It took a while for that to sink in with Finn. Ohio. The place he grew up, where he had so many memories... he looked at Rachel, who also looked worried. Finn knew that his mom, Burt and Kurt were all in Ohio campaigning for Burt this week. Were they okay? His mind began racing at a million miles a minute. He wouldn't expect Ohio to get attacked if America was under attack... he was worried about his family, his friends there... God, he felt sick.

Rachel held Finn's hand as Finn looked at Rachel. No doubt she was scared, too. Finn began feeling worried for Rachel, too. There were lots of people in Ohio she cared about, too.

Finn and Rachel sat close together in the basement of the office building the secret service had led them to. Finn wasn't sure what this building was. He wasn't sure if secret service even knew what this building was. Finn didn't know what to say or do. America was under attack. He was working for a huge presidential campaign. No doubt anyone who wanted to attack America would go after potential leaders... was he in danger?

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Rachel whispered to Finn.

Finn pulled Rachel close to him. It was taking everything he had to not break down. But he couldn't break down with Sue and Vinick, perhaps his two least favorite people in the world, in a room with him. He looked around the room. The Santos campaign was on one side of the room, the Vinick campaign on the other. Everyone was sitting quietly, no one saying anything. Even the young kids seemed to know that something was up. Peter and Miranda both looked scared, and Grayson was holding on to his mom.

Time seemed to pass slower than it actually did. Finn wanted to text his mom and Burt to see if they were okay, but he didn't know if that was a good idea...

Finn looked at Rachel, who was tearing up. "What is it?"

"I'm scared," Rachel whispered.

"Me too," Finn whispered. He looked at the Vinick campaign across the room. While Sullivan and many of the staff members looked serious and worried, Sue and Vinick both looked... Finn didn't know what to think of to describe their looks.

Finn then looked at Santos and Seaborn. Both of them looked concerned, serious... but at the same time, calm.

Finally, a secret service agent spoke. "We're still getting updates from Ohio. Columbus is on lockdown, the rest of the states and the surrounding states are on watch... we don't know information about injuries or... fatalities... but we do know there was a bomb involved... you can all text your family members and friends, tell them you're safe..."

A bomb. Lockdown. This was serious. "America is under attack..." and it was really happening...

Finn got out his phone and texted his parents, Kurt and his friends. He'd already gotten some texts... luckily, Burt, Carole and Kurt had said they'd gone to a safe place in Cleveland... his friends in New York and in Ohio were fine...

"All flights are cancelled and will be until further notice," the secret service agent continued. "National Guard teams have been dispatched all over Ohio... we're doing our best to get the situation under control, we're in contact with security staff from fifteen years ago today..."

Finn looked over at Rachel, who was crying. "What is it?"

"My parents aren't replying to my texts," Rachel said, tearing up.

"Maybe they're in meetings," Finn said. "Hiram lives in Cleveland and LeRoy lives in Cincinnati, Shelby lives here, you probably don't have much to worry about..." He didn't know what else to say. He was scared, too, but at least he knew his parents and brother were okay.

Rachel threw her arms around Finn. Finn tightened the embrace. He just wanted Rachel to feel better. He didn't know how to even make himself feel better. He was scared to death. There was no way to know who was behind the Ohio attacks or if there would be another one.

x

Too much time went by. The hours spent in the basement went by slowly. Rachel couldn't stop worrying about her family. Were her dads okay? Was Shelby okay? Wherever her biological father and her brother and sister were, were the okay? So many questions...

"We're going to be okay, all of us," Rachel said, rubbing Finn's hand. She was trying to assure herself as much as Finn. Clearly, no one knew what to say. Rachel had been so young on 9/11/01... fifteen years ago to the day. She didn't understand the seriousness of it all then. She did now.

Rachel turned to Matt. "There's wifi here... want me to log on to the website and post that campaign events are cancelled for now?" Some normalcy would make her feel a little better...

"Yeah, please," Matt said. "No campaign events until further notice. I'll start working on a statement..."

"Okay," the secret service agent spoke. "New York's been cleared for now, so the campaigns can get to their designated hotels for now. We're in touch with the national secret service and of course both campaigns will be kept updated..."

Rachel couldn't help but feeling scared. She sent more texts to Shelby, Hiram and LeRoy, still not getting replies. For once, the Vinick campaign staff, including Vinick and Sue themselves, were civil as the campaigns said goodbye to each other, before heading to their respective hotels.

x

"Finn..."

Finn felt a nudge. He rolled over to see the presidential candidate himself standing over his bed. He was surprised he and Rachel had managed to fall asleep. They'd listened to the statement from the campaign and spent most of the night trying to get in contact with Rachel's family, but with no luck. Finn couldn't help but be a bit disturbed. Wouldn't Rachel's family want to know that she was okay?

"Hey," Finn mumbled.

"Can you come with me?" Matt asked.

Finn didn't know what to do or say. The past 24 hours had been a whirlwind. But if he was being woken up in the middle of the night by the presidential candidate, this was big. "Sure."

Finn kissed Rachel, who was still sleeping, before following Matt out of the hotel room. "Let's get to my room. I'm just glad that you and Rachel were able to get some sleep..."

"It wasn't easy," Finn admitted.

"I can't sleep," Matt admitted.

"Your address was great," Finn said. "You looked and sounded like a president."

"This isn't about the campaign right now, Finn," Matt said, opening the door to his room. "Right now, we need to focus on what happened..."

When Finn walked into the suite, he was surprised to see the vice presidential candidate as well, as well as some of the senior campaign staff. He guessed he wasn't surprised that people weren't sleeping... but he'd hoped they would. There was still an election in less than two months... the first debate was at the end of the month...

"You should tell him, Congressman," Seaborn said. "Out of all of us, he and Rachel are closest to you..."

"Tell me what?" Finn asked, feeling more and more scared. He already knew that Burt, Carole and Kurt were okay...

"Finn, you might want to sit down," Matt said, nodding at his vice presidential candidate. "I really feel horrible having to tell you this... but the campaign was contacted by the National Guard about the Ohio bombings... three of the bombing victims have been identified... Hiram Berry, LeRoy Berry, and Shelby Corcoran, who I've been informed is Rachel's birth mother... at the downtown Columbus area..."

Finn felt like his heart had stopped. He didn't expect Rachel's dads and birth mother to die in the bombing. They didn't even live in the Columbus area, so why were they in Columbus? Poor Rachel... what was going to happen to her now? He was terrified for her... she hadn't spoken with her dads since the fight at the convention, he wasn't sure when she'd last spoken to Shelby... she was without her family...

Finn couldn't even register what else was being said. All he could do was worry about Rachel. "I'm going to get a therapist here for Rachel as soon as I can," Matt continued. "I'm so, so sorry. I can't imagine what this will be like for her..."

Finn felt tears coming to his eyes, but he'd made a promise to himself when he joined the campaign: he wouldn't cry in front of the presidential candidate. "I just... don't know what to do or say..." He figured he'd come out and say it. "I don't know how to be there for Rachel when this is so much worse than I thought it would be..."

"Presidential candidates are supposed to be prepared for every situation, but I'm going to be honest, I'm not prepared for this and I have no idea what to do," Matt admitted. "We've been talking... and we think it would be least painful for her to hear the news from you."

Finn nodded. He didn't know how to tell Rachel this news. His dad had died before he could understand what was going on. He'd never lost someone close to her. But he was the person who should tell Rachel. Finn had thought earlier that he knew who Rachel's biological father was, but unless the 0.00001% chance that he was right was true, the only family she had left were him and the babies... He'd always liked Rachel's family, and he knew that deep down, she still loved them... "I..." Finn began, trying to find the right thing to say. "I'll tell her, but I'm scared..."

"Finn, we know this is going to be tough for Rachel," Josh said. "When I was working on a campaign, my father died of cancer, but it wasn't like this... you know we're all here for Rachel in any way we can be."

"All I want to do is make things better but..." Finn began. He knew he couldn't. He hated this. But he knew Rachel would hate it more. Why were Rachel's parents in Columbus anyway?

"We love you and Rachel," Helen said. "Don't let her forget that."

"Yeah," Finn said. He looked down. "I'll go get Rachel."

"If she needs anyone to talk to, we're all here," Matt said. "And Finn, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"So am I," Seaborn added. "Josh and I were on the campaign together when his father died, so I kind of get your position..."

"This isn't like that," Josh admitted. "My dad died of natural causes. Rachel's family was murdered."

"Yeah," Seaborn said. "This is horrible."

"Do we have any idea who's behind this?" Finn asked.

"They're doing as much research as they can and keeping me updated," Matt said. "I'll definitely keep you updated, especially... I just can't believe this. Poor Rachel..." He looked more upset than Finn expected... but then again, no one saw this coming.

"I'll go talk to Rachel," Finn said.

x

"Rachel..."

Rachel felt a nudge and looked over to see Finn. She was surprised she'd managed to fall asleep last night. The news of the country being under attack would be scary under any circumstances. But it got worse knowing that it happened in her home state. If there had been one attack, there could be another and she was vulnerable being on a big campaign...

And her parents hadn't been returning her texts. Her friends had returned her texts, but why hadn't her parents? Were they really that angry at her for working for a presidential candidate who wasn't their first choice and for taking a break from Broadway, for getting pregnant before getting married? Sure, she was upset that they'd lied to her, but this was still her family... Shelby had given birth to her and her dads had taken care of her...

"Hey," Rachel said.

"Hey," Finn repeated. The look on Finn's face had Rachel nervous. Had there been another attack while she was asleep? Was New York under attack now or something?

"What's going on? You're making me nervous..." Rachel said.

Finn gulped. "Rachel... you know how your dads and Shelby haven't been answering your calls and texts..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "God Finn, I'm happy, you'd think that would be good enough for them... I don't know why they aren't answering my calls and texts... I'm vulnerable since I'm on a presidential campaign... they could have been trying to attack our campaign... why else would there be an attack two months before the election..."

"Rachel," Finn interrupted. "Rachel, your dads and Shelby were in Columbus..."

"Columbus?" Rachel asked. "What for?"

Finn didn't answer the question. Then Rachel looked at Finn's face and had a bad feeling she knew what this meant. "No."

"Rachel..." Finn began softly.

"No," Rachel repeated, hoping her suspicions weren't true.

Finn didn't deny it. He pulled Rachel close to him, letting her know that it was true. "Oh my God. Finn, I can't breathe."

"I'm so sorry," Finn said, rubbing Rachel's back. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Hiram had lived in Cleveland. LeRoy had lived in Cincinnati. Shelby had lived here in New York. If they were all together, it had to somehow be linked to her. Hiram and LeRoy had divorced. Neither of them got along with Shelby. The men who'd raised Rachel and the woman who'd given birth to her were dead because of her.

Rachel was having trouble breathing. She wanted to throw up and scream and cry and throw things. She didn't know what to do or say.

"I'm so sorry," Finn repeated. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rachel said, feeling tears coming. She hadn't had the best relationship with her parents yesterday, but she still loved them...

"You know your parents loved you," Finn said as if he knew what Rachel was thinking.

"I don't know what to do or say, Finn," Rachel said. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Neither can I," Finn said. "I just wish I could make things better, but I know I can't..."

Rachel didn't know what to think either. Things had been so rocky lately. The last few months she could remember with her parents weren't good, but she wanted things to get better. She felt horrible about all the fights over the past few months...

"I hope we find whoever's behind this," Rachel snapped. "I want them dead."

"I'm sure they will be," Finn said.

"What am I supposed to do or say, Finn?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know," Finn said. "Rachel, I love you and I hate seeing you hurt..."

"We barely spoke for the last few months of their lives..." Rachel sighed. Maybe the universe knew what was going to happen and made them distant for the last few months of their lives to prepare Rachel for this... she didn't even know. Why was this happening? The relationships weren't good. Maybe her parents hadn't really loved her. Maybe they just loved what they wanted for her...

She hated this. She had to just be tough and be strong. There was an election she needed to help win in two months...

"Baby, it's okay to talk," Finn said.

"I just... I don't have anything to say," Rachel said. "Maybe we should get back to sleep. We have an election to win."

"We're not campaigning right now, remember?" Finn asked.

"We can't stop," Rachel said. "Vinick's going to keep on campaigning and if there's any hope, we need to keep on working." Maybe if she acted like everything was okay, she'd be okay... but she had no idea if she'd be okay. She hoped she would, but she didn't know.

 _Chapter 26 preview: Rachel tries to work through her grief by throwing herself into work (despite the campaign being suspended and spending time with the victims in Ohio), worrying those around her - especially Finn._


	26. Chapter 26: The Aftermath

_Hey guys. Thanks for all the support of the last chapter. I appreciated it so much. All the support over the past five years has meant SO much to me, especially those of you who've stuck around when so many have left. I know it's unusual for me to post updates so close together, but I only get a chance to update on February 29 every four years - so I had to do so today! Hope you enjoy the new chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 26: The Aftermath

Finn looked at Rachel, who was sleeping beside him. He put his hand on her stomach, feeling some movements, but at the same time, worried about his kids' future. He'd barely managed to eat or sleep over the past few days. He didn't think anyone had.

The Ohio bombing had shocked, terrified and saddened the nation. There were over 300 deaths and over 400 more injured, the most in an attack on America since 9/11/01. The two people behind the attack had been turned in by family members and were in jail, with life without parole as the likely sentence. And even though they were in jail, there was the fear of something like this happening again.

Finn was scared much of the time. It was probably for the best that the campaign was taking a break from campaigning, because it didn't feel right to campaign at a time like this. The Vinick campaign had resumed campaign activities two days after the attack - making Finn's opinion of Vinick and Sue even worse, if possible. The Santos campaign had spent the last few days helping with the damage in Ohio, visiting with the injured and talking with the families of the deceased.

Of course, Finn's main concern was Rachel - in more ways than one. He knew Rachel and he would have expected her to be breaking down a lot. She'd lost the men who raised her and the woman who gave birth to her. And for the three of them to be somewhere together most definitely meant it had something to do with her.

But Rachel hadn't cried at all. Every time Finn tried to bring up what had happened, she found a way around it. Every time he asked her if she was okay, she insisted that she was. Finn had contacted their friends from glee and talked to their friends on the campaign, all of them saying that similar things happened when they tried to talk to her.

Sometimes he'd try to stay up so if she got up and it hit her, he'd be there. But that never happened, and he often found himself falling asleep. He was glad he was able to get sleep after this, though it was hard.

"Hi," Rachel said, looking up at Finn.

Finn gave his girlfriend a kiss. "Hey. Sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I was thinking, we've taken a few days off, but we should probably set up some campaign events for next week."

"Are you sure that's a good idea after what happened?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Finn, you see that Vinick's still campaigning. We can't let him win this election, and the more time we take off, the more the country sees of him than of us."

From a campaign standpoint, sure, it made all the sense in the world to keep campaigning, but it didn't from a human standpoint. "And we're the ones who actually look like we care."

"Whatever we do, we'll be criticized," Rachel said. "Yeah, if we get back to having campaign events, we'll look like we don't care, but if we stay here too long, we'll be accused of trying to make our campaign and our candidate look good."

"I guess that's true, but still," Finn said. "You don't have to be so strong, Rachel."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"Well, I can't help but notice that other when I first told you, you haven't been acting upset at all," Finn said. "You haven't cried or anything, not even at the services. Every time I try to talk to you, you change the subject."

"What is there to say?" Rachel asked. "It's not like we were that close anymore..."

That answered Finn's question: Rachel was in denial. "Baby..."

"Finn, you don't need to worry about me, I'm fine," Rachel said. "Worry about the fact that we still can't get a commanding lead in the polls. Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

Once again, Rachel was acting like everything was okay. Finn could only hope she'd open up to him eventually. "Okay, let's go get breakfast."

x

"I set up some campaign events for next week," Rachel said, coming into the room where Finn was with the candidates and some senior campaign staff. "On Sunday, we'll be having an evening rally in New York. On Monday, we're having an afternoon rally in Boston and an evening one in Manchester. Tuesday will be Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in the afternoon, Pittsburgh in the evening. On Wednesday I set up an afternoon rally in Falls Church, Virginia, and an evening one in Charlotte..."

Finn couldn't believe Rachel had actually gone through with setting up campaign events. He looked over at Matt. "Rachel... I appreciate your help, but I'm not sure if we should go back to campaigning so soon."

"It'll be a week on Sunday," Rachel said. "We've had our break, but we need to get back to campaigning. The fact that Vinick only took a day off and we took a week already shows that we care more..."

Finn didn't know what to say about this. Then Matt spoke. "Rachel, can you please check with me in the future about where to go before you book venues and hotels?"

"Yeah, but want to hear where else we're going?" Rachel asked.

Rachel had made even more arrangements? "Sure," Matt said, sounding resigned.

"On Thursday we're going to to Atlanta in the afternoon and northern Florida in the evening. We'll then spend Friday morning going door to door and that stuff in Florida, with an afternoon rally in Orlando and an evening one in Miami. I thought maybe we could have a day off on Saturday, so we'll use that day to drive up to Indiana, making some stops for door to doors and phone calls all the way. Then we'll have an afternoon rally in Indianapolis on Sunday and then go up to Wisconsin for an evening rally in Milwaukee. Next Monday we'll spend the morning going door to door in Wisconsin before an afternoon rally in Madison and then go up to Minnesota for an evening rally in the Twin Cities at the Mall of America. That's all I scheduled..." She started passing around papers with details about the event venues and hotels she'd booked.

All she scheduled? Rachel had booked a week's worth of events without checking with the candidate. "Rachel, I appreciate your initiative, but could you please check with me in the future before booking so many events?" Matt asked. "I wasn't even sure when I thought it would be good for us to get back to campaigning.."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. "I just want to win."

"We all do, but right now, some things are more important than the campaign," Josh said.

"I guess," Rachel said. "I'm going to go change clothes." The service for Shelby was today - the ones for Hiram and LeRoy had been yesterday. Finn hoped Rachel might finally admit her feelings today, but he wasn't holding his breath.

When Rachel was gone, Matt turned to Finn. "You've known her the longest... is it odd for me to think that this isn't very Rachel-like behavior?"

"She's usually very open about her feelings," Finn said. "She's acting like nothing happened... every time I try to talk to her, she dodges."

"I guess she's right and it would be good to get back to work on the campaign since it'll be a week... but going behind everyone's back and booking event venues and hotels?" Josh asked.

Finn knew Rachel had changed the performance behind Mr. Schue's back their sophomore year, but that wouldn't happen again after the backlash. "I don't even know. I keep trying to get her to talk, but she won't. Not even at the services. You would have thought they were services for acquaintances, not the men who raised her. I don't know... maybe the service for her birth mother today will get her to open up, but I don't know."

"The therapist said she hasn't come to her yet, either," Donna pointed out.

"It's odd," Anna added. "I haven't known her long, but this isn't like Rachel."

"I don't know what else to try," Finn admitted. "I'm worried about her... I was hoping that the services would help her open up a little..."

"She has her birth mother's service today, right?" Bram asked. "Maybe that'll help.."

"I hope," Finn said. "I don't know though."

"Just keep all of us updated, okay?" Ronna asked.

"Of course," Finn said. He turned to Matt. "I'll make sure she doesn't book any more events."

Matt looked uncomfortable. "Thanks... I hope things get better."

x

Finn and Rachel had just arrived at the pre-service visitation for Shelby. There were some former members of Vocal Adrenaline there that they recognized. Quinn then came up to them and gave them each a hug.

"Hey," Puck said as he and Beth walked over to Finn and Rachel.

"Hey," Rachel said, looking down at Beth. She'd met Beth a few times, but she didn't know if Beth would remember her.

"Hi Rachel," Beth said. "Mommy talked about you a lot."

Rachel had to feel horrible for Beth. "I'm so sorry, Beth."

"Why would a bad person do that?" Beth asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. She really didn't know. From everything it heard, it sounded like it had been done just for the thrill of it.

"Beth was staying with me while Shelby was in Ohio," Puck said. "She could have..."

Rachel didn't want Puck talking that way in front of Beth. "So, did Shelby leave her to you?"

"Yeah," Puck said. "My mom's sent us some things and of course our other friends in New York are helping out..."

"And since I'm only in Connecticut, I'm going to try to come every weekend," Quinn said.

"That's good," Rachel said. "You know we'd be helping if we were in New York..."

"We get it, you two have an election to win," Puck said.

Rachel looked down at Beth. She'd spent so much time thinking about her brother and sister from her unknown biological father, but in a way, she did have a sibling through Shelby, and she couldn't imagine what this was like for Beth. Had Beth even known that Shelby wasn't her birth mother? It sounded like she saw Puck from time to time, but still...

"I'm sad," Beth said.

"I know you are," Rachel said, leaning down to give Beth a hug. She didn't know how she'd been managing. She'd been trying to distract herself with work as much as possible to avoid getting upset, but with the campaign on hiatus, there was only so much that could be done.

"It's all so senseless," Finn said. "There's no reason why anyone should do anything like that..."

"We've spent the past few days helping out. It's all horrible," Rachel said. She tried not to sound like she was talking about a tragedy that hadn't affected her personally. "The damage, how upset the victims' families are... no one should have to go through this."

Rachel saw Finn whispering something to Puck. No doubt this had to do with her. Hoping to get her mind off things, she turned to Quinn. "How's grad school?"

"I like it," Quinn said. "It's challenging and there's a lot of homework, but I'm happy."

"That's good," Rachel said.

"Did you know Quinn and Puck are my other mommy and my daddy?" Beth asked Rachel.

"I did," Rachel said. "That makes you very special."

"Yeah," Beth said. "I'm sad about my mommy though."

"Of course you are," Rachel said. "I'm sad, too." She hoped she didn't come off as too sad.

"So since your mommy is my mommy, you're my sister?" Beth asked.

Rachel wasn't sure how to define it. "Yeah."

x

Finn had hoped that with the services, Rachel would finally recognize her feelings, but no such luck. As soon as they got back to the hotel, Rachel had sorted a bunch of campaign literature into envelopes that they'd gotten on the 10th. He didn't even know what she was doing on her laptop now, but he was hoping that maybe she was writing about her feelings... or something.

This was completely like Rachel. Usually if she was upset about something, she talked about it a lot... but why was she refusing to talk about this? He'd never lost anyone close to him, but this still wasn't what he would have expected from someone who had lost her parents. He tiptoed out of the room and called his mom, hoping to get another perspective. Luckily, his mom picked up almost right away. "Hey honey."

"Hi Mom," Finn said. "How are you guys doing?"

"Similar to everyone in the country," Carole said. "We're scared... and of course we've been thinking a lot about Rachel..."

"Mom, I don't know what's going on with Rachel," Finn admitted. "She won't talk!"

"What do you mean, she won't talk?" Carole asked.

"Exactly what I said," Finn said. "Every time I try to talk to her, she finds a way around it. She's not acting upset at all! She booked a week's worth of campaign events and sorted and stuffed a bunch of literature into envelopes... this is almost scaring me."

"What do you mean, scaring you?" Carole asked.

"I feel like she's headed for some sort of crash and burn," Finn sighed.

"Everyone grieves differently," Carole said. "They say that one of the stages of grief is denial. Maybe Rachel's going through that."

"What was it like for you when my dad died?" Finn asked.

"I had to be strong for you," Carole said.

"Maybe Rachel feels like she needs to be strong for me and the babies and the campaign?" Finn asked. "But she doesn't have to..."

"You should let her know that it's okay to be sad," Carole said.

"I've tried, Mom," Finn said. "She didn't even cry at any of the funerals! It's making me worried, everyone on the campaign is worried, our friends from glee are texting me to see if she's okay... I hope she can be as okay as she can soon."

x

The services made everything feel so final. After today, it made things more complicated. So Rachel figured the best thing to do was what she'd been doing lately to keep her mind off things - more work related stuff. She didn't think it would be a good idea to book more events so far in advance but then she thought - the victory or the concession speech would be important. And with the stress of the final days of the campaign, wouldn't it be great to have a speech ready?

Rachel got out her computer and began typing the victory speech. After she finished it, she began the concession speech. In both speeches, she wrote exactly what she thought of Vinick. After she finished the speeches, she printed them out and went into the candidate's suite.

"Hey, I wrote you a victory speech and a concession speech," Rachel said, coming in and handing the papers to Matt. "That way you can focus completely on campaigning and not on the speeches when it gets close to the election." She was really getting desperate to get her mind off things. She'd stuffed all the envelopes, entered all the data... she had a feeling she shouldn't set up any more events, since Matt hadn't seemed happy when she set them up before. "Hopefully we won't need the concession speech, but..."

"Victory and concession speeches?" Matt asked. "Rachel, you know I like writing my own speeches... and there might be more that comes up closer to the election..."

"These are good," Rachel said. At least she thought they were good. Sure, maybe some of the things she said about Vinick in the concession speech weren't very nice, but neither was Vinick. It made her so angry that he was still here and her parents weren't.

"'I can not believe that you elected that living piece of trash over me?'" Matt read from the concession speech. "Rachel, I can't say that..."

"Vinick is a living piece of trash," Rachel said.

"Baby, he can't say that on national television," Finn said.

"You see the way Vinick talks," Rachel said.

Matt continued reading the speech. "'I used to think that America was a good place where everyone mattered, that we were beyond racism and homophobia and sexism and hatred and injustice, but by the re-election of Arnold Vinick, you've proven that to be wrong. Apparently all that matters is the people at the top and bad people getting good things. You had a choice, a good one, to replace him... someone who would fight for everyone and not just for himself. But you chose that thing over me. So, fuck you America...' Rachel! What is this?"

"That's what I really think of Vinick," Rachel snapped.

Matt ripped up the paper. "Rachel, listen to this because I care about you: you need to stop pretending everything's okay. You lost the people who raised you and the woman who gave birth to you in a horrible way. I can not imagine going through that, so I'm not going to pretend I know what it's like. But I do know this: you need help. Grief leads people to do things they wouldn't normally do..."

"I've already told you and I've already told everyone, I'm fine!" Rachel shouted. She'd really lost it if she was yelling at a presidential candidate. Then again, she hadn't been snapped at by said candidate before. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever heard him snap at anyone, not even Vinick. She began storming out of the room.

"Rachel!" Matt repeated, raising his voice. Now Rachel was scared. She was being yelled at... was she fired? She couldn't lose her job. She needed it. She needed to be able to provide for her kids when they got here. She needed to be working for a cause she believed in and around people who cared about the cause in the way that she did.

Rachel turned around. "I'm sorry... you're right, I shouldn't have written those speeches or booked the events or any of that..." Now she felt like she was about to do something she'd tried so hard not to do since she got the news - cry. She tried to hold it in. "I'm so sorry... can I go up to my room for a little?"

"Of course," Matt said, giving Rachel a sympathetic look.

"I'm so, so sorry," Rachel repeated.

"Why don't you just go cool down in your room?" Matt asked. "We'll talk later."

"Can Finn come with me?" Rachel asked.

"Of course," Matt said.

As soon as Finn and Rachel got to their room, Rachel broke down. She had been trying to hold it all in, but she couldn't. She'd done so many things that someone else might have fired her for - making arrangements without her bosses' consent, writing the speeches... but doing all that wasn't going to change things or make it go away. "I'm sorry Finn," Rachel said, hugging her boyfriend and crying hysterically. "I'm so sorry..."

"Hey, don't," Finn said softly, rubbing Rachel's back. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"I thought that if I did extra work, it would distract me, but I just screwed things up..." Rachel sobbed. "Why, Finn? Why? Why did those people bomb Ohio? Why did they kill so many people... kill my parents?"

"I don't know," Finn said. "I don't know. It isn't right."

"If I'd known, I would have tried harder to fix things," Rachel continued. "Now I'm all alone in the world except for you and the babies..."

"You're not," Finn said. "You have me, the babies, my family, our friends from glee and the campaign..."

Rachel sighed. "I mean family."

"Well... what about your biological father?" Finn asked.

"The only one who knew who he was was Shelby," Rachel said. "And when my dads and Shelby were still around, I just wanted to meet him and talk now and then. If I asked him to come into my life now, he'd know he was my only parent left, and I wouldn't want to put that pressure on him." Rachel groaned. "God, Finn, what's wrong with me? I've been acting like a nutcase the past few days..."

"You're grieving," Finn said. "Everyone grieves differently."

"I know, but I could have gotten fired," Rachel said. "I just don't know what to do, Finn... my parents are gone..."

"No one's saying you have to know what to say or do," Finn said. "You just shouldn't be so afraid of your feelings."

Rachel didn't know what to say. So she just kept crying and holding on to Finn.

x

Finn rubbed circles into Rachel's back as she fell asleep, singing "I'll Stand By You" softly to her. It had broken his heart to see her so upset, but at least she was finally acknowledging her grief. Continuing to pretend she was okay wouldn't have helped. He knew she'd needed to let everything out, and he was glad she had.

Finn heard a knock on the door and went to it, keeping his eye on Rachel. When he looked through the peep hole, he knew he couldn't ignore the presidential candidate, so he let Matt in. "Hey."

"Hey," Matt said. "How's she doing?"

"She finally let it out," Finn said. "If it makes sense, I'm relieved... she's not trying to cover it up anymore. She's sleeping now."

"I was coming to tell her how sorry I am for snapping at her earlier," Matt said. "I shouldn't have done that when she's so fragile."

Finn nodded. "She's going to talk to the therapist tomorrow."

"I think that'll be good for her," Matt said. "I've been worried about her, but there's only so much we can all do..."

"Yeah," Finn said. "It's all one big nightmare, isn't it?"

"It is," Matt agreed. He looked at Rachel with concern over Finn's shoulder. "I'll be in my room if either of you need me, okay?"

"Okay," Finn said. "I'll pass on your message to Rachel."

As Finn said good night, he thought about his recent theory about who he thought Rachel's biological father was. Sure, there was a possibility he was wrong, but after doing some thinking, he was more and more suspicious. And despite what Rachel had said, he thought it would be comforting to her to have her biological father in her life. People always needed parents.

x

Rachel had been slightly embarrassed by her behavior yesterday. She'd realized that it had been wrong of her to jump the gun so much without consulting with the candidate himself. The therapist had told her that it was okay to be upset and that she'd have good moments and bad moments. She'd spent a while crying in Finn's arms with the therapist, and now she was going back to the room where the senior campaign staff was to apologize for the scene she caused yesterday. Finn had told her Matt hadn't seemed angry last night, but she felt like she deserved to be yelled at.

"Hey," Rachel said, going up to Matt as he was looking over an e-mail to send supporters. "Can we talk?"

"Of course," Matt said.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday," Rachel said. "That speech I wrote was completely inappropriate... and I shouldn't have gone behind your back to schedule events..."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Matt said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you when you were in a vulnerable state. I feel horrible about what you're going through."

"It's just hard, you know?" Rachel said. "I wasn't expecting this. I wouldn't expect Ohio to be attacked, or my parents to be in my attack. I wasn't in a good place with my parents when they died, but I still love them..." She felt the tears coming back. Maybe part of the result of holding it in for so long was lately, it felt like all she could do was cry. "It makes me so sad thinking of everything I won't have parents to share with. They aren't going to be there to meet the babies. On my wedding day, I won't have my mom to help me plan everything, or my dads to walk me down the aisle..."

"Hey," Matt said, hugging Rachel. "I know you're sad. I'd tell you your parents were still with you in some way, but you want them here with you, don't you?"

"Yeah," Rachel admitted. "I hate this. But it's not an excuse for me doing so much behind your back."

"The senior staff and I were talking, we do think we'll get back to events on Sunday," Matt said. "You know you can always come to me if you need to talk, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "You know, your kids are lucky to have you... all five of them."

x

"How are you holding up?" Kurt asked. Rachel was on the phone with Kurt in her room. She had to admit - the therapist had been right, it did feel slightly better to have gotten her feelings off her chest.

"I'm feeling a little better," Rachel said. "I guess I was in denial the first few days."

"Yeah, Finn was really worried," Kurt said. "He kept texting us to tell him if you said anything."

"I guess I don't need to pretend everything's okay," Rachel said.

"You don't," Kurt said. "Remember, not many people our age know what it's like to lose a parent, but I do."

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Kurt said.

"I just don't want to burden people," Rachel admitted. So far today, she'd broken down with her boyfriend, her boss and now her best friend.

"You're not burdening us," Kurt said. "We love you and we care about you. You can call me any time, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel said. "Thanks for listening to me cry earlier."

"It's what I'm here for," Kurt said.

Finn came in the room. "Finn's here, so I'm going to get to him," Rachel said. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too," Kurt said.

When Rachel got off the phone, she walked over and hugged Finn. "I heard what you said," Finn said. "Don't ever think you're burdening me, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Finn said, giving Rachel a kiss. "I'll do everything I can for you."

 _Chapter 27 preview: Finn makes the discovery of Rachel's biological father's identity - and for the first time, a non-Finchel character's point of view will be written in the story. The campaign gets back to work and an OC from one of my other story universes appears._


	27. Chapter 27: Family Matters

_Hey everyone. Thanks for all your support on the last chapter. This was a plot I was nervous to cover so the positive reception means a lot to me. This chapter was another one I tried hard to get right. One of my OCs from my Finchel S5/S6/S7 make her in story debut in this chapter - I missed writing her. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 27: Family Matters

Being back in action with the campaign had seemed to help Rachel somewhat, but Finn was still worried. Luckily, she seemed to skip over the anger phase of grief (unless it somehow overlapped with the denial phase, since her concession speech was pretty angry) and talked a lot about how she wondered why this had happened. She still cried a lot at night and it broke Finn's heart to see her unhappy. At first, the two things that genuinely seemed to consistently cheer her up were campaign events and when the babies kicked. There were more good moments than there were at first, but Finn could tell Rachel was still upset about what had happened.

Tonight had been the first night that Rachel hadn't cried at night since her first breakdown. In fact, Finn thought that today was the first day that she'd seemed pretty normal. The campaign was beginning to move out west, so they'd had two rallies today, but also spent a lot of time on the road. While they had made some phone calls and written some blog posts while on the road, Finn and Rachel had picked out some furniture for the nursery and some baby toys and clothes online. Rachel had definitely seemed to enjoy that and had made Burt and Carole promise to call them as soon as the furniture arrived. Finn and Rachel had performed at both rallies and after the evening rally, they'd had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and spent time at the hotel pool.

It was a relief to see Rachel doing so well today, but Finn was still worried about her. And of course, there was one question still on his mind constantly - who was her biological father? Finn had a feeling that it would be good for Rachel to have her biological father in her life, even if it was just casually. No matter how old one was, one needed parents. Rachel said that she didn't want to put that pressure on her biological father, whoever he was, but Finn knew Rachel needed him.

Finn also couldn't let go of the suspicion he'd had for a while now - he thought Rachel's biological father was Matt Santos. The story of the Santos baby and Rachel's story were so similar. First of all, Rachel had been born in 1993, as had the Santos baby. Matt and Helen had broken up in college, while Shelby had said Rachel's biological father was still in love with his high school girlfriend when he and Shelby dated, then married her. Shelby also said she'd looked up Rachel's biological father and discovered that he had a son and a daughter. Finn knew that Shelby had gone to Johns Hopkins her first year of college and that Matt had gone to the Naval Academy, and those schools weren't far from each other. Lastly, Finn couldn't help but notice that Miranda looked a lot like Rachel had in childhood photos he'd seen...

Maybe it was a ridiculous assumption. But Finn couldn't shake that feeling. Maybe he was wrong, but the feeling couldn't go away.

He didn't want to say anything to Rachel. He knew that this had all been VERY hard for her. If he was wrong, he'd just embarrass himself. At the same time, he felt like there had to be some way to figure out if he was right. He felt like Rachel needed her biological father. Not sure what to do, Finn walked to the candidate suite, hoping to talk to Matt. He wasn't sure what to say, but maybe he could figure it out...

x

Matt stared at the ultrasound photo, unable to take his eyes off it. For 22 years, this photo was all he had of his first child... until last summer, when the child had unexpectedly come into his life.

He'd spent the last 22 years going through life, looking for the child's face, wondering if it was a boy or a girl, what the child looked like, where they lived, what they were doing. Now he knew the answers to all those questions and he didn't know what to do.

Sure, he noticed the resemblance between Rachel and Shelby when Rachel had joined the campaign, but he didn't think much of it. There were lots of young women out there who might look like Shelby, so he brushed it off, telling himself not to think much of it. After all, he'd wanted a good life for the child he'd given up all those years ago. Rachel was going through a rough patch after the stuff with her TV show failing and the end of the career on Broadway, but it seemed like she had a good life. She was a beautiful, smart, strong, talented young woman who was making great contributions to the campaign. He'd tried to put the thoughts out of his mind that Rachel might be his daughter, but they often managed to creep in.

He hadn't known what had happened to Shelby after they broke up. They'd only dated a few months of the second semester of his freshman year at college. He was at the Naval Academy and she was at JHU in the theatre department, and they were both servers at the same Baltimore restaurant on the weekends. Neither of them were in good places in their lives. He had thought breaking up with Helen before they left for college would make things easier, but he missed her every day and constantly thought about her. She was disappointed about not getting into Juilliard and NYADA and went to New York every weekend to try out for roles in hopes of starting her Broadway career.

It was a shock to him when he got the letter that she was pregnant that summer, complete with a photo of the ultrasound. They'd broken up before they went home for the summer. Actually, he'd been the one to break up with her, and they'd gotten into an argument - she'd said he was still in love with Helen and he'd said she cared more about her career than about him.

In the letter, she'd told him that she would be giving the baby up for adoption and that the adoption would be closed, and that it would be best for both of them for it to be this way. He'd been upset that he wasn't being given a say in what was happening to his first child, but when he made attempts to contact Shelby over the summer to talk about the baby, they never went through.

He probably couldn't have raised the baby. His parents didn't have a lot of money and he wasn't making much money as a server on the weekends. He eventually gave up and sent Shelby a letter he'd written to the child and attempted to get on with his life. He eventually got back with Helen, had the kids and built a good career, but something was always missing.

When Rachel had said Shelby Corcoran was her birth mother, his suspicions were confirmed - Rachel was his daughter. He'd been surprised and at the same time, not surprised. He'd come to care about Rachel a lot over the past year, but now that he knew she was his daughter, he cared so much more.

Especially after what had happened. Rachel had lost the people who'd raised her and the woman who'd given birth to her. He could tell that she was devastated. He didn't have with Rachel what he had with the children he'd raised, but that didn't mean that he loved her any less. There was still a biological connection - and an emotional attachment.

"Are you okay?" Helen asked, interrupting Matt's thoughts.

"I don't know," Matt admitted.

"This is about Rachel, isn't it?" Helen asked. Matt had told Helen that he thought Rachel might be his daughter early on, but she'd told him that there were probably lots of 22 year old women who had a resemblance of some sort to Shelby. They found out the truth when Rachel revealed that Shelby was her mother. There was no denying now that she was, without a doubt, Matt's daughter and their children's half sister.

"Yeah," Matt said. "Unless Shelby miscarried and then had a baby a few months early, there's no way it's not her."

"You knew," Helen said. "I knew. We've known since she joined the campaign..."

Matt had longed for the child that he'd given up for 23 years. He didn't expect for it to be like this, but then again, he hadn't known what to expect. He had no doubt that Rachel liked him, but she saw him as a mentor, not as a father. She saw the people who raised her as her parents. He had helped to create her, but although he was her father, he wasn't her dad. If he told her now that he was her father, it was possible she would resent him for telling her this right after the people who raised her had died in a way he couldn't imagine losing anyone... "I don't know what to do," Matt admitted. "Being a parent is about putting your child first... I want to be there for her, but at the same time..."

"You can be there for her without telling her that you're her father," Helen said. "Just be there if she needs someone to talk to. When the time's right, you can tell her."

"I'm just worried about her," Matt admitted. "She's my daughter, my baby girl! All I want to do is hold her in my arms and rock her and tell her everything's going to be okay... but I can't. As parents, we don't want to see our kids get hurt..."

"I know," Helen said. "It'll all work out. You'll be okay. You and Rachel."

"What about the other kids?" Matt asked. He and Helen had originally planned to wait until the kids were older to tell them they had another sibling, but when the ad was made, they had to tell them. They'd been upset and justifiably so that they hadn't been told sooner. Miranda had told Matt and Helen that lying was bad and Peter had been a bit angry. They'd wanted to tell them when they were older and could understand better, but this was how it was. They'd gotten over being angry, but learning someone they knew was their half sister would be a shock.

"They like Rachel," Helen said. "Maybe that'll make things easier..."

"I guess we'll have to deal with it when the time comes," Matt said. This wasn't going to be easy or predictable for anyone involved. He wanted his kids to be okay - all of them. A complicated situation had just gotten even more complicated. "Maybe I should let her figure it out and come to me..."

"That's probably a good idea," Helen agreed. "She's pretty vulnerable right now and there's no way of knowing how she'll react."

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "I just... Rachel's such an amazing young woman and I wish I'd had something to do with it..."

"You do," Helen said. "She's got your heart of gold. And you see how much she's grown in the past year. She and Finn were so insecure and scared when they joined the campaign. Look at them now."

"Yeah," Matt said. He felt horrible about what had happened to Rachel and wanted to be there for her - but maybe he had to be there for her as her boss and not as her dad.

x

Finn felt his breath going away as he heard the conversation from the other side of the door. The conversation he'd heard between Matt and Helen had confirmed things - Rachel was The Santos Baby. Her biological father had been in her life this whole time. Finn didn't know how Rachel would react to this. While she had her biological father in her life, she saw him as the candidate she and Finn were working for... how was he supposed to tell Rachel that he knew and that her biological father himself knew? While Finn had seen signs, Rachel had never mentioned noticing a connection...

Finn knew he shouldn't have been eavesdropping on his boss. It was a miracle he hadn't been caught. He'd need to tell Rachel eventually... but would she be ready to hear it?

x

Rachel sat in her hotel room, taking a break. She'd had a Women For Santos event to attend this morning, so she had the afternoon off while Finn went to the rally. She had to admit - being back at work had been good for her and taken her mind off things. Of course she was still upset. The whole nation was upset (except maybe Vinick and Sue, who'd gone back to being themselves quickly). Talking with the therapist had helped, as had talking with Finn and her friends.

As Rachel finished her blog post, she remembered a text she'd gotten from Quinn. A family member of Shelby's had been visiting with Beth a lot on the weekends as well and wanted to talk to Rachel. Rachel wasn't sure who this family member might be, since she knew that both Shelby's parents were gone and Shelby had no siblings. She knew the girl's name was Kylie and she was a freshman at NYU... maybe she was the daughter of one of Shelby's cousins or something? But whoever this family member was, maybe talking with her would help Rachel find some comfort. After all, Hiram and LeRoy's families had always been distant since they were homophobic...

Rachel logged on to Skype and noticed that Kylie was logged in. She hit the call button and Kylie answered the call. "Hey, are you Rachel?" Kylie asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "You're Kylie?"

"Yeah," Kylie said. "I got your Skype information from your friends in New York... I've been visiting with Beth a lot since Shelby died..."

Rachel noticed that Kylie looked a lot like her (and Shelby). She also noticed that Kylie looked very nervous. "That's good, I'm sure Beth appreciates it. I'd be there to help out, but they've probably told you, I work for the Santos campaign, and we're all over the place... I'm rarely in one state for more than one day at a time..."

"Yeah, your friends told me," Kylie said. "This is going to be my first election to vote in, so I'm so glad I have Santos to vote for. He'll be a great president."

"Yeah, he will," Rachel said. She had to ask now. "Kylie, how are you related to Shelby?"

"She's my birth mother," Kylie said. "And I know she's yours too..."

Rachel felt like her heart had stopped. Her sister was right in front of her. She'd spent the past year wondering about her dad and her brother and her sister... but here was her sister. "Oh my God..."

"Yeah," Kylie continued. "Shelby and my dad dated for a while, but when she got pregnant, she didn't want to keep me because she wanted to be on Broadway and a pregnancy and a baby would get in the way... so my dad didn't let her have contact with me. After he met and married my mom when I was in preschool, she adopted me. My dad didn't know where Shelby was until she died."

Wait a minute. This wasn't making sense. Rachel's biological father was a guy Shelby dated in college... so Kylie's father must have been another man... "I know it's a lot, but I really want to get to know you," Kylie said. "I get it if you don't..."

"Of course I do," Rachel managed to say. This was all so much. Shelby hadn't mentioned that she had another child with another man besides Rachel's biological father. Her biological father had been in love with his high school girlfriend when he dated Shelby and went on to marry her... this meant that her biological father and her brother and sister through him were out there somewhere... "I'm just surprised. Don't think that means I don't want you in my life."

"I'm sure," Kylie said. "Puck told me that you were adopted by a gay couple and that they died in the bombing, too. I can't imagine going through that... at least I still have my dad and my adoptive mom..."

"I'm not alone, I have my boyfriend and my friends from glee and the campaign, and I don't know if you heard, my boyfriend and I are expecting babies," Rachel said. "And I guess I have you, too."

"Yeah," Kylie said. "I'm sorry if it feels like I'm butting in... I've always wanted siblings..."

It was confirmed: Kylie's dad wasn't Rachel's biological father. He had a son as well as a daughter. "You're not butting in, we're family," Rachel said. "How are you doing?"

"I am upset I never even got to meet my birth mother," Kylie admitted.

"I get that," Rachel said. "It's been tough. The campaign's having me see a therapist, but work has been good for me and so has spending time with my boyfriend and getting ready for our babies to get here. They're due a week after the election."

"Wow," Kylie said. "What's it like, working on the Santos campaign?"

"I love it," Rachel said. "It's amazing. I get to talk to all kinds of people and fight for issues I believe in and perform at the rallies... it's great. I'm really hoping he'll hire me again in four years." She figured she should learn a little about her sister. "So, tell me about yourself."

"Well, I told you, I'm a freshman at NYU," Kylie said. "I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland. I'm majoring in history and minoring in photography in college..."

The girls talked for a while more. Rachel put on a strong face, but it was all overwhelming. She had really liked Kylie, but finding out she had more family that had been hidden from her was a shock.

x

Finn had been a bit concerned about leaving Rachel at the hotel for a while during the rally, but he knew she could use a little break. It was the first time she'd been alone since her breakdown. Rachel had insisted she'd be fine, but Finn was still worried. She still cried now and then... and of course, now that Finn knew who Rachel's biological father was, he was trying to find the right time to break it to her. She could figure it out on her own. As perspective as Rachel usually was, Finn was surprised Rachel hadn't thought of anything...

Finn walked into the hotel room to find Rachel on the computer. "Hey you."

"How was the rally?" Rachel asked with a look Finn couldn't quite put a label on.

"It was good," Finn said. "Good crowd. I did miss having you to perform with." He decided to come out and ask Rachel if she was okay. "Are you okay?"

"Finn... while you were at the rally... I talked to my sister," Rachel said.

"What?" Finn gasped. Miranda had been at the rally... and how had Rachel figured out the truth?

"Yeah, apparently I don't just have siblings through my biological father," Rachel said. "Shelby had another kid who's 18 now. She thought it would get in the way of her career, so she left her with her father... her father didn't have her in contact with Shelby and she didn't know who she was until Shelby died... but she goes to NYU and she's been spending time with Beth, so our friends gave her my Skype username..."

"Oh my gosh," Finn said. Now probably wasn't the time to tell Rachel that he had found out who her biological father was. Her complicated family situation had gotten more complicated. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she's really sweet and I really liked her," Rachel said. "We exchanged numbers so we can talk more and next time the campaign goes to New York, we're going to meet up. I just can't believe it... it's all so much... for nearly 23 years, there were so many things about myself that I didn't know... and since the story of who her dad is doesn't match up with the story of mine, he's still out there somewhere..."

Finn knew who Rachel's biological father was. The biological father himself knew. "Maybe you do know him, who knows?"

"Even if I do, it's like I said before, I can't put that type of pressure on him," Rachel said. "He's got a family of his own. What do you say you and I look at things for the babies?"

"Okay," Finn said. The right time would come to tell Rachel who her biological father was, but maybe it wasn't now. He just hoped there were no other secret family members out there. Rachel had enough going on.

 _Chapter 28 preview: Rachel finds out that the presidential candidate she and Finn have been working for is her biological father. Finn considers taking a huge step in his relationship with Rachel as they prepare for the babies' arrival. The first Santos/Vinick debate takes place._


	28. Chapter 28: Past, Present and Future

_Hey everyone. Thank you so much for all your support of the last chapter. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry it took so long, but I had lots of exams for school and stuff at work. Luckily, I'm on spring break, so you can expect more updates than usual this week :) Hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 28: Past, Present and Future

"How are the babies doing?" Rachel asked, looking up at the screen. They weren't here yet, but Rachel and Finn were so excited to meet them. They couldn't believe how much they'd grown - now they actually looked like babies in the ultrasound rather than smudges.

"They're doing great," the doctor said. "With all the stress of a presidential campaign, plus everything else you guys have going on, I'd be concerned, but you seem to be taking good care of your body, and by extension, these two."

"Good," Finn sighed. With everything that had been going on, he was worried about Rachel and by extension, the babies. It seemed like she was eating healthy and getting as much rest as she could, but it was nice to have confirmation.

"So, have you two decided what you'll do when the babies get here?" the doctor asked.

"We're going to raise them together," Finn said. "I know we're not married, but we know we want to stick together and raise the babies. We're hoping to somehow get jobs in the Santos administration, if he wins... and if not, we'll figure something out."

"You two seem very responsible," the doctor said.

"It's great that our job has been willing to accommodate us," Rachel said. "And the Santoses' babies should be here any day now..."

"Yeah, having two pregnant women on the campaign has been... interesting," Finn said.

"Hey, I hope I haven't been TOO hormonal," Rachel said.

"Well, I guess it's not too bad," Finn teased.

"It's really great that you two seem to really be committed to raising the babies together, even though you aren't married," the doctor said.

"Who says we won't be married in the future?" Finn asked, then realizing he might have spoken too soon. He and Rachel weren't even engaged... but he could change that.

He wanted to get engaged again. It broke his heart that they hadn't gone through with it before. When he thought about getting married, he knew if he married anyone but Rachel, he'd be settling.

If he reproposed, would she say yes? Over the past year, they'd been through a lot together. He felt that their love was stronger than it had ever been before and that problems they'd had in their relationship in the past were gone. They had so many great memories together and he wanted to add more.

One thing was holding him back though - the way their family and friends had acted their senior year of high school had hurt. Granted, they were young and probably should have waited, but then when Kurt and Blaine got engaged a year later, everyone acted like... well, like people should when friends of yours get engaged. Finn was happy for his brother, but it definitely stung. He didn't want that to happen again.

"Finn, aren't our little ones adorable?" Rachel asked, interrupting Finn's thoughts.

Finn looked up at the screen. "Yeah, they really are."

x

Finn had made some arrangements - when Rachel was helping out a rally, he wanted to talk to his family members and friends. He had a few hours off while Rachel helped at the rally, so he was going to use this time to talk about his latest idea. First, he decided to call his parents. He had a feeling they were campaigning for Burt right now, but he needed to talk to them. Luckily, his mom picked up after the first ring. "Hi Finn!"

"Hi Mom," Finn said.

"How are you guys doing?" Carole asked.

"We're good," Finn said. "I think the campaign's doing a good job at reassuring everyone we can keep the country safe and that we aren't going to let something like what happened happen again... but at the same time, we aren't neglecting the other issues." He sighed. "It's all so stressful... our leads in the polls are always within the margin of error... and of course the first debate is in two days..."

"It'll be okay," Burt said. "I don't know why the polls are how they are, but I know Matt Santos. He's going to wipe the floor in that debate."

Finn managed a laugh. "Yeah." He hoped so.

"How's Rachel doing?" Carole asked.

"She's doing better," Finn said. He was tempted to tell his parents that he knew the truth... but he couldn't tell anyone. It was too risky. Rachel had talked to Kylie on the phone, but he wanted to let everything sink in before she got another piece of big news about her family. Of course, he was going to need Dad's permission before asking...

"That's good," Burt said.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Mom, Burt, I've been doing a lot of thinking... I want you to listen to what I'm saying. I've been with Rachel again for nearly a year now and I have a feeling this time, it's going to be forever. Rachel and me and the babies... we had time to grow during our time apart and then together when we joined the campaign... we've grown so much, I think... I love her so much... I don't want to think of life without her... I was miserable without her and every time I was with another girl, I just wished I was with her... I know we were doing it at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons when we were in high school... but I hope this time, you know it's for the right reasons. I love her so much and I want to spend my life with her..."

"So, are you saying you want to re-propose?" Carole asked.

"Yeah," Finn said.

"You know how much we love Rachel," Carole said. "We'd love to have her in our family."

"Yeah, she basically already is part of the family, between you and Kurt," Burt said.

"I really want to," Finn said. "But the thing is, when Rachel and I got engaged before, everyone was lecturing us about what a bad idea this was and how we were ruining our lives. We were too young back then, sure, and we didn't have our lives started yet... but when Kurt and Blaine got engaged a year later... everyone was acting like it was the best thing ever... and it hurt."

"For what it's worth, I told Blaine not to do it," Burt said.

"Rachel and I weren't in the right place, yes, but we'd been in a solid relationship with only minor problems for seven months," Finn said. "When Kurt and Blaine got engaged, they'd been broken up until a few days before. Don't get me wrong, I think Kurt and Blaine are meant to be, and I'm glad they made it a long engagement... but it upset me and I'm sure it upset Rachel, too."

"You don't need to compare yourself to your brother," Carole said. "You and Rachel are at the right time now."

"If you want to propose, go for it," Burt said. "I haven't seen much of you two, but from what I have seen and heard, you two are at the best you've ever been, individually and as a couple."

Finn had to smile. "Thank you!"

"I'm sure her parents would agree," Burt said.

Once again, Finn wanted to say something, but decided not to. "Thanks." He said goodbye to his parents - soon, he had a Skype chat appointment with the glee guys. Mike was actually dancing in New York for a performance now, so Finn could talk to Kurt, Blaine, Sam, Artie, Puck and Mike all at once on Skype. He wanted to see what they thought - and he wanted them to be his groomsmen at the wedding.

Finn logged on to Skype and called Kurt. When Kurt picked up, Finn saw all the guys on screen. "Hey."

"Hey," Blaine said. "How's that dreamboat candidate of yours?"

"Blaine, stop it!" Kurt said.

"He's driving Kurt crazy with this," Sam said.

"Eh, everyone has celebrity crushes," Finn said. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you guys about something..."

"You already knocked her up, what happened?" Puck asked.

Finn wasn't sure if the guys were going to be help. "Well, if I do end up going through with this, I'm going to need groomsmen..."

"Wait, are you thinking of proposing?" Kurt asked. "Because I'm planning the wedding..."

"Well, I'm glad you're being supportive this time, because I was hoping you'd be my best man," Finn said. "Over the past year, Rachel and I have grown closer than ever and our relationship's grown stronger. Of course we have the babies on the way, but I'm not just doing this because of the babies. Even if there weren't babies on the way, I'd still want to do it..."

"Finn, that's great," Mike said. "You know Tina and I were supportive last time, and we will be this time, too."

"Thanks," Finn said. "Part of why I wasn't sure if I should tell you guys is when Rachel and I got engaged last time, most people weren't particularly supportive, but when Kurt and Blaine did, everyone was..."

"I'm sorry about that," Blaine said. "I'll admit, Kurt and I probably should have gotten engaged later. We made it a long engagement for a reason."

"Finn, we're behind you and Rachel," Sam said. "And of course we'll be your groomsmen. We always knew you two were going to be together."

"Thanks," Finn said. "I feel like everything worked out for Rachel and me... she and I had our time apart, but this time, it's going to be forever. I just have one request: don't tell the girls. I don't want her to know that I'm considering it."

"Your secret's safe with us, man," Artie said. "How's she doing?"

"She's doing as well as she can, all things considered," Finn said. "The first few days were a bit scary. She was making arrangements for campaign events and writing speeches without consulting anyone. But she's not doing that anymore. She does have moments when she's upset."

"Of course she does," Sam said. "That was messed up."

"It was," Finn said. "I know airplanes are operating again, but I don't think I'll ever be able to get on one again..."

"You're just lucky the campaign uses a bus," Blaine said.

"How's Beth?" Finn asked.

"She's with Kylie for the day," Puck said. "Kylie said they were going to Skype with Rachel this evening..."

"Yeah, it was a shock to Rachel, finding out about Kylie, but at the same time, I think it's good for her to have someone who gets what she's going through," Finn said. "Well, not entirely, since Kylie never even met Shelby... but you know. They've been texting and talking on the phone a lot."

"What about Rachel's biological father?" Kurt asked. "Do you think you guys might be able to find him?"

Finn had found him. "I don't know." He sighed. Of course he knew. "Anyway, I really appreciate you guys being supportive."

"Of course," Sam said. "Good luck with the engagement - and with the debate."

"Oh, we'll need that," Finn said. He did feel good that his parents, brother and friends were supportive this time around.

x

"Look Rachel!" Beth said on Skype. "I got a new Build-A-Bear!"

"You did?" Rachel asked. "That's so exciting!"

"Daddy told Kylie I didn't need another one, but I do!" Beth said.

"It's nice that you guys had fun today," Rachel said. She was alone in the hotel room while Finn ran some errands.

"Can you tell Rachel what else we did today?" Kylie asked.

"We watched the Santos rally!" Beth said. "You sang a good song, Rachel."

"Yeah, you did," Kylie said. "I was actually in the glee club at my high school, too. I was just in the chorus, but it was fun."

"That doesn't surprise me, we do have the same birth mother," Rachel said. "Beth, I wrote that song for the campaign specifically."

"That's cool!" Beth said.

"Next time the campaign's in New York, the three of us need to spend some sister time together," Kylie said.

"For sure," Rachel said. "The last debate's in New Hampshire, so I'm sure we'll stop in New York on the way there. We're moving out west now, then moving back east, since we have the first debate in California..."

"Are you guys nervous?" Kylie asked.

"A little," Rachel said. "Vinick's a nightmare, both as a president and as a person... hopefully seeing them side by side will help us get a lead in the polls that's not in the margin of error."

" _The New York Times_ ' poll this morning had you guys up by 3," Kylie pointed out.

"Yeah, but the margin of error is 4," Rachel sighed.

"Don't give up," Kylie said. "The country needs Santos."

"Oh, I know," Rachel said. "Believe me, I know."

The door opened and Finn came in with several boxes. "Hey!" Rachel said, smiling at the sight of her boyfriend.

Finn looked at the screen. "Hi Beth. Hi Kylie."

"Hi Finn!" Beth said.

"Since Finn's back, we'll let you go," Kylie said. "We'll talk again soon."

"Yeah, for sure," Rachel said before she said goodbye to her sisters and hung up the call, going to hug Finn. "How are you?"

"Good," Finn said. "These boxes were for you at the hotel desk..."

Rachel looked at the boxes and realized what they were. She'd hired people to clean out her dads' and Shelby's houses and send her anything she might find sentimental. She was feeling better, but now her sadness was coming back. She'd given them the names of all the hotels she'd be at for the next week, but didn't expect them to come so soon. "Wow..."

"What are these?" Finn asked.

"Some stuff for me from Shelby and my dads got sent over," Rachel said. "I guess it was considerate of the people I hired to send me some stuff... but still... it makes it more real, you know..."

"Yeah," Finn said.

Rachel figured the boxes from Shelby's would be the least difficult to go through since she'd had less of a relationship with Shelby than with her dads who'd raised her. The box was still difficult to go through. Suddenly, an envelope caught her eye. An envelope with handwriting that looked both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time written on it: "Shelby: please give this to our child."

Rachel knew what this must be. This was something from her biological father. "Finn, look." She looked at the envelope. "He wrote this... he held this in his hand..."

Finn looked at the envelope. "You should open it."

Rachel gulped. She'd been wondering for the past year who her biological father was... the answer was likely in here. She opened the envelope and saw a letter. "Finn... look at this... he wrote this..." She began reading the letter with Finn over her shoulder.

 **Hi. This is your dad. Well, I don't know if I should call myself that since you're being raised by another man. But this is the man who helped create you.**

 **I don't know what to say in this letter. Giving you up wasn't an easy decision. Your mother and I weren't intending to get pregnant. It just happened. Neither of our hearts were in the relationship, but that doesn't mean your birth mother is a bad person. She's strong, smart and the most talented person I've ever heard. You'll probably be seeing her on Broadway one day.**

 **As for me - believe me when I said I wanted to keep you, but I know I couldn't give you the life you deserve. I just finished my first year of college at the Naval Academy. My parents don't have a lot of money - they have to work really hard to just put food on the table for me and my siblings and I don't have what I need to raise a child. Believe me when I say I love you so much. I've loved you since the day I found out that you'd been conceived. I'm going to spend my entire life loving you and missing you. I know you're probably mad at me and I get it if you are. I wanted to keep you, believe me, but I love you too much. I want so much better for you than what I can do right now.**

 **I want a good life for you. I hope you know that. The advice I'm going to give you sounds trite and stupid, but here goes: work hard in school, it'll be a foundation for a good career in the future. Do what makes you happy, because you can't make everyone around you happy, but you can make YOU happy. Stand up and fight for the things you believe in. When you find your passion, go after it, no matter what those around you say. You're going to get hurt in life, I don't want you to, but everyone gets hurt, so surround yourself with people who love you so when you do get hurt, you aren't alone. And as for guys or girls, when you find that special someone, you'll know.**

 **You may not like me after reading this letter. How you feel about me is up to you. I'll love you forever, but I'm not saying you have to love me. If you do want to meet me, I'd love to meet you. Like I said, I go to the Naval Academy now, probably going to spend some time in the Marines and then go back home to Houston to do some work to make the community a better place. I don't know where you are, but I would love to meet you if you want to.**

 **Good luck to you in everything and anything you do.**

 **Matt Santos**

Rachel felt tears coming to her eyes as she read the letter. "Finn... this is my dad..." Then she saw the name at the end of the letter. "Oh my God..." She felt like her breath had been taken away. This was why the handwriting had looked familiar. The man she'd spent the last year working for was her father.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked.

"I can't believe this..." Rachel said. Maybe she should have seen signs. She knew Matt had a child born in 1993 who'd been given up for adoption and that Shelby had spent a year at a college not too far from the Naval Academy. She knew that Shelby's college boyfriend who she'd had a child with was still in love with his high school girlfriend and then married her and that they had a son and a daughter. This was still a shock.

Finn pulled Rachel in for a hug. "I'm going to be honest, I've known for about a week. I was going to tell you, but then you found out about Kylie and I thought it would be too much at once..."

"How did you know?" Rachel asked.

"I was suspicious, and then I overheard Matt talking to Helen that he'd figured it out..." Finn began.

So Matt knew as well. "Is it weird that I don't know how to react, Finn?" Rachel asked. "You know how much I like him, but he's started a family, and he probably sees me as his aide... I don't want to feel like I'm barging in... and I need to think of Peter and Miranda too..." Those kids who she and Finn had been playing with for a year were her brother and sister. She knew that even though they'd gotten over it, they'd been upset to find out that their parents hadn't told them that they had a half sibling out there. She didn't want to create drama.

"He sounded like he had similar concerns about you," Finn said. "I'm sure if you went to him, he'd be willing to talk."

Then Rachel remembered how this had all gotten out - when Matt's friend had leaked the ultrasound photo. What would it do to the campaign if it was revealed that the child Matt Santos had given up for adoption had been working on the campaign all along? She didn't want to make things bad for the campaign and she wasn't going to ruin her own biological father's chances at the presidency. The election was only about six weeks away. She could only imagine how Vinick would act if it was discovered that she was The Santos Baby. "I can't. Not with the election so close." She wanted so badly to talk to him. She wanted her dad. She NEEDED her dad after everything that had happened. But there were a lot more people in this equation. And of course, after what happened with her and Shelby when they first met...

"I get it," Finn sighed. "This sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I just wish people weren't so..." She didn't even know how to finish that sentence. She'd finally found her biological father, but she couldn't let him know she'd found him. And she also didn't know what type of relationship he'd want to have.

Rachel obviously wanted him as her father. She needed a parent, even though she was in her 20s. There were still lots of things she needed a parent for. The truth was, Matt had been more of a father to her in the past year than Hiram or LeRoy. He'd been the one she'd talked to about her feelings about getting back with Finn. He'd been the one who'd taken her and Finn to their first doctor's appointment. He'd been the one she and Finn had first talked to about the pregnancy. But he had so much on his plate now. He'd built a family. He had two other kids and two more on the way.

"I'm sorry," Finn said. "I should have told you when I found out... I get it if you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," Rachel said. "None of us expected me to be in this situation... I don't know what to do, Finn. I don't want to hurt the campaign. I wish I could say that if I went to him, it wouldn't impact the campaign, but we both know I'm not that naive. We're running against a psycho. He would say all sorts of horrible things and I have no idea how the American people would react. As much as I like to think that they'd be open-minded, we don't know."

"Yeah," Finn said. "It all sucks, doesn't it?"

"It does," Rachel said. "I want my dad, Finn. I may be an adult now, but there's still so many things I need a parent for."

"I know," Finn said, hugging Rachel close. "I know."

x

"How do you think the debate will go?" Rachel asked as she and Finn walked in. Today, Finn and Rachel had spent the day going door-to-door before going to Stanford for the debate. The debate had been hyped up - every news station, newspaper and magazine had it on their cover. Additionally, people were talking about it a lot out in the open - at the hotel, the restaurants, everywhere.

"Well, I hope," Finn said. "He's good at debates."

Finn hoped to do something else soon - he wanted to pick out a ring. Since his parents had said that they would support him and his friends and brother were supportive as well, he wanted to find the perfect ring. He'd been looking at rings on his iPod and sent pictures to Kurt, trying to find the perfect one. His thoughts were interrupted when his phone vibrated with a new text from Kurt. Kurt had replied with a picture of one of the rings Finn had sent and the caption, "She'll like this one best. Trust me."

That had been the one Finn thought Rachel would like as well. Now he had a ring picked out.

Finn was a bit shocked when he entered - the debate hall at Stanford was completely full. The Santos campaign staff sat on the left side of the hall, the Vinick campaign on the right. Sue was in the front row, right in front of the podium where Vinick would be standing.

Finn tried not to show how nervous he was. He knew the debates had gone well in the primaries, but Vinick had already won the presidency once. It could happen again. He put his hand on Rachel's stomach and felt movements. "They want him to do well, too," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. Finn knew the past few days had been emotional for Rachel. Since she found out that the candidate was her biological father, she seemed slightly uncomfortable when she was with him. She wasn't really making eye contact with him and was a bit jittery. Finn just hoped Rachel would be doing better soon.

"Your babies seem to want him to do well, too?" Helen asked Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel asked. "Yours too?"

"They won't stop moving," Helen said. "It hurts to walk around and I just want to stay in bed, but I wasn't going to miss this."

"Now you have me nervous," Rachel said.

"It'll be worth it," Helen said, wincing. "Sorry, they kicked pretty hard..."

"They're already late," Peter said.

"Yeah, they are," Helen said. "I just hope they don't decide to come on the bus..."

"Why do I have a bad feeling something like that could happen to me and Rachel?" Finn asked.

"You think?" Rachel asked. "I hope not..."

The moderator announced the beginning of the debate and the entrance of the candidates. Vinick gave a nasty look to his opponent before the first question for Vinick came: how was he going to deal with illegal immigrants from Mexico?

"Enforcement first; that's my policy. I will double the border patrol. Not just increase it; double it. We need to make a statement that says 'We mean it this time. We really are cracking down on illegal immigration.' And we need that statement to be heard loud and clear on the other side of the border where everyone knows how easy it is to get in to this country. I want everyone on the other side of the border to think about how hard it is to get into this country. That's the kind of Sensible Solution you can expect from the Vinick White House," Vinick rambled.

"Why not triple the border patrol?" Matt asked.

"Are you proposing tripling the border patrol?" Vinick asked.

"No, you're the one who's campaigning on doubling the border patrol. You want to double it, why not triple it? We just heard the speech. We get it. Why not triple the border patrol? I don't know how you're going to find room in the budget to double the border patrol with the tax cut that you're proposing. Why not double the border patrol? I'll tell you why not: because we already have. Since 1990 we've tripled, not double, tripled the border patrol along the Mexican border and you don't need me to tell you that it hasn't solved the problem," Matt said, leaving Vinick looking disgusted.

"Well, he made Vinick look like an idiot," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"I think I'm in labor," Helen said quietly so Finn and Rachel could hear.

"Oh crap," Finn said. "I'm going to see if there's a way to stop the debate and get Matt.."

"Don't," Helen said forcefully. "Labor last a while. It could be hours before the babies are here. I'm not ruining this for Matt."

"You look like you're in a lot of pain," Rachel pointed out.

"You two know what Vinick's like," Helen said. "He'll be horrible to Matt if we try to stop the debate."

Finn knew Helen was right, but he had a bad feeling these babies were on their way out. If he disrupted the debate, Vinick would definitely say something insensitive and his supporters would probably think that the Santos campaign looked bad. But weren't the babies more important than the debate?

"I'm not doing that to Matt," Helen said.

The debate continued and Matt continued to outperform Vinick, but Finn couldn't help but worry that the candidate's babies would be here before the debate was over. The winner of the debate was clear. Vinick didn't really answer any of the questions - instead, he found a way to go around most of them. Vinick's closing statement was mostly spent throwing mud at the Santos campaign with a few personal attacks thrown in there. Finally, it was time for the closing statement from Matt.

"Tax cuts are not a magic wand that you can wave at every problem. Senator Vinick is very quick to attack my plans, but the Presidency is about more than just saying no, no, no. You have to say yes to something. You have to do something. We don't have enough time for me to remind you about every policy difference that you've heard here tonight. But when you go to work tomorrow and you're talking about this debate, talk about the qualities that you want to see as a President; the leadership qualities. Ask yourself if Matt Santos is the kind of guy who's going to give up on the promises that he's made tonight because it's going to be too tough to get them done. Talk about what it was like for Matt Santos to go from where he was baptized 45 years ago to where he's standing tonight. Ask yourselves what it was like to do that. And then ask yourselves if you're ready to give Matt Santos the Presidency of the United States. I am asking for your vote now because I know that I am ready to do the job. I thank you."

Finn smiled as Rachel squealed with excitement. They'd nailed the first debate. But then Finn noticed Rachel's excitement turn to concern when he looked down. Rachel was standing in a pile of water. Finn looked at Helen in the chair. "I'll go get Matt."

x

"Why didn't you tell us your water broke?" Rachel asked Helen as she sat with Helen while Finn got Matt.

"I didn't want to make Matt look bad," Helen said.

"These are your kids!" Rachel said. "And his!" And her brother and sister. "Surely Vinick would at least understand that." She doubted he would, but she could say that.

Soon enough, Finn arrived back with Matt. "Helen, when did your water break?" Matt asked.

"About an hour ago," Helen admitted. "Matt... I've been here twice before... I think these babies are going to come out..."

This was making Rachel nervous for her own babies. "Oh God..." Matt said. "Well, let's get you to my dressing room they provided and just see if we can have medical help brought there..."

"This is what I'll need to do in less than two months!" Rachel said.

"This can be your crash course," Matt said. He turned to Finn. "You too, Finn. This can prepare you for what you'll have to deal with..."

"It'll be okay," Finn said to the (hopeful) First Couple. "The babies will be fine."

"Let's get to the dressing room," Rachel said. "There's a couch in there."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I'll get other campaign staff to call the ambulance and have them wait for it and direct them to the room."

"Thank you, you two," Matt said.

Finn and Rachel made arrangements with the rest of the campaign staff before they headed back to the dressing room, where Helen was on the couch with Matt. "The doctors should be here soon," Finn said.

"Thank you," Matt said, looking worried. "I just looked... I don't know if the doctors will be here in time..."

Rachel REALLY hoped this wasn't what it would be like for her... "Anything we can do to help while we wait for the doctor to get here?" She just hoped her siblings would be okay... and her... should she say... her stepmother?

"Yeah, maybe get some wet towels," Matt said. "Honey, I want you to push again on the next contraction..."

Push? The babies were really getting here... Finn looked down. "Um, I see a head..."

"Oh my God," Rachel gasped.

"Take my other hand," Helen said to Rachel. "I promise not to squeeze it too hard if you don't squeeze Finn's too hard."

"I promise," Rachel said.

Finn knelt at the end of the couch. "Okay, I do see a head, maybe she should push..."

After a few pushes, Rachel heard some cries at the end of the couch. She looked at the end and saw Finn holding the baby boy. "Oh my gosh..." She looked at Matt. "He looks just like you."

"We might need Rachel to hold him," Finn said. "I think I see her head, too, so I'll just wait here, and push on your next contraction."

"Who knew I hired two aides who could help with delivery?" Matt asked.

"I didn't know we could do this, either," Rachel laughed. She looked down at the baby in her arms. Her baby brother. She tried to stop herself from getting emotional, but she was getting to hold one of her little siblings. She'd gone from having no siblings to six in a few weeks.

"Okay, Finn," Helen moaned. "Here comes a contraction."

Once again, cries filled the room, and Finn held the baby girl as the doctors entered the room. "Well, the babies are here," Matt said. "Thanks to Finn and Rachel. This is Brayden and this is Lily."

"Wow," the doctor said. "I'm impressed."

"I just hope I don't have to give birth in a dressing room," Rachel managed to laugh. She looked again at her little brother and sister. They were here and she felt her heart swelling. They were so perfect. Would her babies be this perfect? She hoped so.

"Well, we should get mother and babies to the hospital," the doctor said.

Matt looked at Finn and Rachel. "Thank you so much. Another thing I need to thank you for..."

"Just don't make us do that again," Finn said.

"I'm done being pregnant anyway," Helen said.

"Well, you have some beautiful babies," Rachel said. She wanted to say how much she already loved her brother and sister... but she couldn't. "This made me a little nervous about doing it."

"I'm sure you'll do great," Finn said, putting his arm around his girlfriend.

"I hope," Rachel said.

"I know," Finn said.

"Well, if I need help, you're great with helping with delivery," Rachel said, kissing Finn.

 _Chapter 29 preview: Rachel continues to deal with finding out so much about her family that she didn't know as she and Finn continue to prepare for the birth of their babies. Meanwhile, it's time for the second debate, and the feud between the two campaigns reaches a breaking point._


	29. Chapter 29: Push

_Hey everyone. Two updates in one week :) Good to be on break from school :) I forgot to say in the last chapter, some of the dialogue from the debate there was borrowed from the actual show. (Not the dialogue here though.) I really appreciate all the support on the last chapter and on the story in general. As you'll learn in this chapter, Finchel's kids I wrote a series about will be born in this story and I'm so excited! Hope you enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 29: Push

"You're a natural holding the babies," Rachel said, smiling at Finn as he held Brayden on the campaign bus. She looked down at Lily in her own arms, noticing that Lily had the same brown eyes she had. Would her little brother and sister ever know that she was their sister? "You'll be great with our babies when they get here."

"I really hope so," Finn said. "You're really good with them, too."

Rachel was about to say something about them being her siblings, but then Peter and Miranda came in. She wasn't going to drop a bombshell on them. Well, she wasn't ready to tell anyone the news because of the fear of it getting out, but her big sister instincts were already kicking in, and she didn't want them to get upset again.

"Hey guys," Finn said. "Want to hold your little brother and sister?"

"Yeah!" Peter said as Finn handed him Brayden. "It's good to have a brother."

Rachel passed Lily on to Miranda. "So, how do you guys like having a little brother and sister?"

"They cry a lot at night, but it's good other than that," Miranda said. "Aren't they cute?"

"Yeah, they're really cute," Finn said, smiling at Rachel.

"You two are really good big siblings," Rachel said. Could she be a good big sister to these four, and to Kylie and Beth?

"You know, we have another big brother or sister," Peter said.

Rachel's heart stopped. That came out of nowhere. She and Finn knew that Matt had told Burt the kids knew about their half sibling, but she didn't think they would talk about it... not with her and Finn anyway.

"You do?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, we don't know if it's a brother or a sister though," Peter said. "They have a different mom, too. Our dad had our other brother or sister with a girl he dated in college and gave them up for adoption."

"Oh," Rachel said. Peter didn't sound angry. That was something, right?

"We don't know where he or she is," Miranda added. "Neither do Mommy and Daddy."

Rachel looked at Finn. This was definitely getting uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," Finn said. "I'm sure your dad loved your brother or sister, but he was young. He wanted good things for him or her."

"That's what he said," Peter said. "I was mad at first, but I want to meet my brother or sister."

"Yeah, me too," Miranda added. "They should meet Brayden and Lily too. Do you think they know Daddy's running for president?"

"Guys, it's a complicated situation," Rachel said. There was no way she was going to tell the kids she was their sister. She just couldn't. "Have you tried talking to your mom and dad?"

"Mom says not to talk about it with Dad because it makes him sad," Peter said. "He said he wanted to tell us when we were older but then the president was going to tell everyone on TV..."

"Guys, I'm sorry," Rachel said. She knew all too well what the kids were going through.

"You're great kids, and your big brother and sister would be lucky to have you," Finn said. "And since your big brother or sister is your sibling and your dad's kid, I know he or she has to be pretty cool, too." He winked at Rachel.

Rachel smiled at Finn. "Yeah, guys. Believe me, it'll all work out okay."

"Are you excited for your babies to be born?" Miranda asked.

"Of course we are," Finn said.

"What are their names going to be?" Peter asked.

"We haven't picked out names yet," Finn said.

"They should play with Brayden and Lily!" Miranda said.

"That would be fun, wouldn't it?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, it would," Rachel said. Even if they didn't know, she had good relationships with her siblings. That was something.

x

Finn felt his phone vibrating and looked at it. Luckily, Rachel was on her time off right now, so he picked up the phone. "Hey."

"Hey," Kurt said. "So, the ring arrived here. I'll give it to you when you get here for the last debate."

"Okay, thanks bro," Finn said. "Did you show the other guys?"

"I didn't want to risk the girls seeing it," Kurt said.

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Finn said. "I think she'll like it."

"Me too," Finn said. "So, when do you plan to propose?"

"I'm not sure," Finn said. "I'm waiting for the right time. Obviously, we'd want to wait until after the babies are here to have the wedding..."

"Just I get dibs on best man whenever you have it," Kurt said.

"Of course," Finn said. "I know Rachel would probably want you as her man of honor, but brother tops best friend. We also want you and Santana to be the babies' godparents."

"Of course!" Kurt said. "You two won't have any time to rest between the election and the birth."

"Hey, but we're happy," Finn said. "So, how's postgrad life?"

"I'm really glad to be full time at Vogue now," Kurt said. "Maybe I'll be able to design my own line one day."

"You will," Finn said. "And speaking of weddings, are you and Blaine getting ready for this summer?"  
"We are," Kurt said. "I'm just so glad I can have Rachel as my maid of honor after all."

"Me too," Finn said. He and Rachel would be Kurt's best man and maid of honor, he'd known that from the beginning. But hopefully, their own wedding wasn't too far away.

Just in time, Rachel came into the room. "Hey," Rachel said.

"Hey," Finn said. "Kurt's on the phone."

"Hi Kurt!" Rachel said.

"Hi Rachel," Kurt said. "How are the babies?"

"I can tell they're excited to come out," Rachel said.

"I bought some onesies for them," Kurt said.

"Awww, I bet they'll appreciate that," Rachel said. "I am excited to see you guys when I come to New York for the last debate."

"Me too," Kurt said. "Santos did really well in the first debate and Seaborn did really well in the vice presidential debate."

"That's what we thought," Finn said.

"Well, I'd better get going, I'll see you guys soon," Kurt said.

Finn and Rachel said goodbye to Kurt before they hung up the phone. "You were really good with your siblings earlier today," Finn told Rachel. He didn't want to say it, but Finn had definitely noticed Rachel was uneasy around Matt ever since she found out he was her father.

"Thanks," Rachel said. "It's all so complicated... I didn't expect them to say something to us about... about me." She paused. "This still stands, Finn. We can't say anything to him about me knowing until after the campaign."

Finn knew that from a campaign standpoint, that was the best idea. But from a human standpoint, Finn knew Rachel needed her dad. "Maybe we could just talk to him..."

"I can't," Rachel interrupted. Her tone of voice changed. "So, do you have any names in mind for the little ones?"

"Yeah, I do, quite a few," Finn said. "I've always kind of wanted to name a son after my dad, but for boys, I also like Liam, Cory, Ryan, Nick, Grant, Evan, Kyle and Ben. For a girl, I like Emma, Ava, Chloe, Allie, Hannah, Natalie and Sarah."

"Do you have a list or something?" Rachel asked. "Because I love all of those, and just about all of those are on my list, too."

"What else is on your list?" Finn asked, glad that Rachel had a list.

"Emma's actually at the top of my list for a girl, and in addition to yours, I really like Grace, Zoe, Sasha, Jessica, Lauren, and Abigail," Rachel said, handing Finn a list, proving that yes, the names from his list were on hers. "And you can see, for a boy, I also had Johnny, Robert, Daniel, Tim, Jason, Andrew and Max. So, any frontrunners for you?"

"You said Emma's at the top for you," Finn said. "And you also said you like Grace... I really like Emma Grace Hudson."

"Emma Grace Hudson," Rachel repeated. "Yeah, I like that. What about our son?"

Finn took a look at both lists, noticing two names were near the top on both lists. "Well, I've noticed two names are near the top on both our lists... what do you think of Ryan Nicholas Hudson for our son?"

"Wow," Rachel said. "I really like both names we picked."

"They have names now," Finn said, hugging Rachel as he heard a knock on the door. Finn went to the door and saw Matt. "Hey."

"Hey," Matt said. "I was just coming by to see how the new blog posts are coming along." He leaned over and whispered to Finn. "How's Rachel doing?"

Finn could tell that there was some parent/child attachment on both sides. "She's doing better... we were talking about the babies."

Matt looked relieved as Rachel came over. "Hey," Rachel said. "I have my blog posts ready if you want to look at them."

"How are you doing?" Matt asked.

Rachel looked down. "I'm doing fine. Better than I was when it first happened." She paused. "You know, Finn and I were talking to Peter and Miranda earlier today..."

Finn thought it might be hard for Rachel to say what had happened. "The kids seemed to have some questions about their sibling born in 1993..." He wanted to hold Rachel's hand or something, but he didn't want to put the campaign at risk.

Finn noticed Matt looked uncomfortable when he brought that up. "They know they can talk to me."

"They're worried it will upset you if they talk to you," Rachel said. Looking at Rachel, Finn knew this was the look Rachel got when she was trying hard to look okay, but wasn't. Rachel was standing by her only living parent but couldn't tell him she knew.

"I'll talk to them," Matt said. "Thank you for talking with them."

"You know we really like them," Rachel said.

"They adore you two," Matt said.

Finn noticed Rachel manage to smile. "This whole campaign has really helped me over the past few weeks," Rachel said. "I don't know if I'd be making it through everything if it wasn't for everyone here..."

"You know we're all here for you in any way we can be, Rachel," Matt said.

"Thanks," Rachel said as Finn squeezed Rachel's hand. "You should get to bed, sir. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Good night, Rachel. Good night, Finn," Matt said before leaving.

"You don't need to act so scared," Finn said to Rachel when they were alone.

"I know," Rachel sighed. "I just wish Vinick wasn't like he is. I want my dad, Finn."

"I know you do," Finn said, hugging Rachel. "I know you do."

x

"What do you say we try a different swing on things?" Rod Remington asked. Finn was surprised to see Rod Remington as the moderator of tonight's debate, but lots of things had happened in this campaign that he hadn't expected.

"Something different?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Rod said. "You know, I can't help but notice throughout this campaign, you've both had people I judged in high school glee club competitions. I think you should try things their style."

Finn gasped. Was this what he thought it was? Sure enough, Rod turned on the radio, and the music began. This was the same music from his senior year, from the New Directions vs. Troubletones sing off. His candidate was taking the New Directions' part that Finn had led, the opponent was doing the Troubletones part.

 _Santos: Hit me with your best shot  
Why don't you hit me with your best shot?  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
Santos: Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
One way or another, I'm gonna find ya  
I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
One way or another I'm gonna win ya  
I'll getcha, I'll getcha  
Santos: You're a real tough cookie with a long history  
Of breaking little hearts like the one in me  
That's okay, let's see how you do it  
Put up your dukes, let's get down to it  
Hit me with your best shot  
Why don't you hit me with your best shot?  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
Santos: Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away!  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
And if the lights are all out  
I'll follow your bus downtown  
See who's hanging out  
Santos: Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
Santos: Hit me with your best shot, fire away  
Vinick: I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha  
Santos: Hit me with your best shot_

"Okay, that did absolutely nothing," Matt said at the end of the song.

"We can add singing to another thing I can do better than you," Vinick snapped.

Finn opened his eyes. He should have known this was just a dream. He had to admit - it had been funny. A sing off wouldn't have done much, but he had a feeling it would be tamer than whatever happened tonight... he just hoped things didn't get too bad. He had to laugh though.

"What's so funny?" Rachel asked, waking up.

"I just dreamed that there was a singoff at the debate, with the song we used for the New Directions/ Troubletones singoff our senior year," Finn said.

Rachel laughed. "Wow. You know people don't break out in song, right Finn?"

"Yeah, of course," Finn said. "I have no idea where that dream came from."

x

Finn and Rachel sat in the hall at Emory University, listening to the debate. Rather, they were listening to things they'd already heard about the Santos campaign's plans for the country while Vinick found a way to twist everything. The debate hadn't felt much different from last week.

The one difference was that Vinick's attacks were much nastier and more personal. He found ways to squeeze in insults about every single issue, bills both Santos and Seaborn had created in congress, insulting the campaign staff, as well as their personal life... he was out of hand. Right now, Vinick was delivering his closing statement. "In the first presidential debate, in the vice presidential debate in Missouri, and tonight, we've seen a big difference. Matt Santos has a lot of confidence in the government, I'll give him that. But he has confidence in the wrong type of government. Look at this man across from me. Do we want someone who can't take care of himself as president? Do we want someone who's going to give education and health care and tax breaks to people who don't deserve it? Do we want someone who's not going to go after threats? Do we want a manwhore?"

The crowd gasped collectively at the word. Manwhore. Vinick supporters had used that word, but Vinick himself hadn't. Rachel felt tears coming to her eyes. How could the president be so nasty about the fact that she existed? How could he be talking this way to the man who'd helped create her?

"Okay, Mr. President," the moderator interrupted, clearly uncomfortable. "Congressman Santos, your statement."

"I do have confidence in the government," Matt said. "You made some inaccurate statements right there, Mr. President. I don't believe that health care is something that needs to be 'earned.' Everyone is going to get sick or hurt and we need to make sure that they have access to the best care. Education is the foundation for our future and that is why I'm fighting for changes to our system. I believe that my tax plan will benefit everyone in some way. I don't have time to be petty. I want to be the president of everyone - white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Native, gay, straight, cisgender, transgender, male, female, disabled, abled. This is a tough time and America is more divided than ever. I know I'll make mistakes. I know I can't please everyone. But I am going to fight for everyone. Thank you."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't stand seeing Vinick attack her biological father anymore. She and Finn walked backstage to meet up with the candidate, still holding in her anger. A manwhore. She couldn't believe Vinick had actually said it. This whole campaign, Vinick's behavior had been deplorable, but clearly it wouldn't get better.

"Hey," Rachel said when she reached the candidate suite. She just wanted to give her biological father a hug. Awkwardly, she gave him a hug, hoping it wouldn't make him suspicious. "You did a great job tonight."

"Vinick's crazy," Finn added. "What president calls his opponent a manwhore?"

"I don't even know," Matt said. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel."

As the Santos campaign staff began to leave, they saw the Vinick campaign staff leaving as well. To Rachel's surprise, Matt looked over at Vinick. "You know, you might want to think about talking about what you've done as president rather than throwing mud at me all the time," Matt said, eyeing Vinick.

"Well, it's my opponent," Vinick smirked. "Tell me again why you think gay is okay?"

"You know, I've been putting up with this for a year," Matt said. "Actually, I've been putting up with this since I first went to Congress. But I've had enough. Don't you ever get tired of tearing me down?"

"No, not really," Vinick said.

"Why do you do it?" Matt asked. "For fun? You know, this is a presidential campaign, not a high school student council election. You've been acting like we're in high school, with all your personal and political attacks on me. In all my congressional races, we debated the issues in a civilized way. Even though I disagreed with the Republicans I ran against for Congress, I always knew that I had their respect, and I grew to respect them as well. But you aren't acting like a president. To use the high school analogy, you're acting like a bully. You aren't fit to be president. The president serves the whole country and the only person you know how to serve or care about is yourself."

This was a side of Matt Santos Rachel hadn't seen before. And she had to admit, she was impressed.

"Then why do you think I got elected?" Vinick asked.

"Watch your mouth, non-black Obama," Sue said.

"What did you call me?" Matt asked. "This is a good exhibit of why you aren't fit to be president. Because you have someone like her running your campaign."

This confrontational side had never come out before. Rachel had to admit, she was surprised Matt had this in him.

"Are you really going to make sexist comments?" Sue asked.

"I'm just asking you to please stop acting like this, Mr. President," Matt said. "The country is better than this, don't you think? They deserve a lot better than you. You are a horrible person who only does things for the country if it benefits you in some way and who never has a nice word to say about anyone."

Sue took the slushie she was drinking and threw it on Matt.

"That's assault!" Finn said.

"No, THIS is assault!" Sue snapped, pushing Matt down the stairs behind them.

x

"After tonight's debate, President Vinick's fiance and campaign manager Sue Sylvester pushed Democratic Congressman and Presidential Candidate Matthew Santos down the stairs. We are unaware of the congressman's injuries at this time, but we have word that he is at Emory University's hospital..."

Finn groaned as he listened to the CNN anchor talk. He looked over at Rachel, who looked close to tears. He leaned over and kissed her, hoping she'd be okay. Finn thought Sue would at least have boundaries somewhere. Instead, she'd assaulted a man who could very well end up being president. Sue needed to be in jail for this. Finn wasn't sure what the injuries were or how serious they were... but Sue could not get away with doing something like this, even if she was engaged to the president.

Finn clenched his fists. After tonight, seeing Vinick's face when he thought of "the president" made him even more sick. What was wrong with the people of this country? How had they elected this nasty dictator? Sue needed to be in jail, but Finn knew Vinick would do everything he could to ensure that didn't happen. And as much as Finn hated it, Vinick was the president.

No one knew what was going on with Sue. Secret Service had escorted her out, but the campaign staff had gone to the hospital right away. Finn didn't know what sort of injuries came from the push. He obviously hoped Matt was okay, but doctors had said he'd lost consciousness. Who knew what that would mean?

Finn rubbed circles into Rachel's hand. Rachel looked scared to death. The only people the hospital would let into the operating room were the vice presidential candidate, the campaign manager and family members. And since Rachel didn't want to say out loud that she was family, she couldn't go in there.

"You okay?" Finn whispered to Rachel.

"I've lost three parents," Rachel said.

"It's going to be okay," Finn said, hugging Rachel.

"I hate Sue!" Rachel said, close to tears. "I hate her."

"Of course you do," Finn said. "We all do."

Rachel broke down in tears. It had been a while and there wasn't news. What was Finn supposed to do or say? He could tell how upset Rachel was, but the rest of the campaign staff was here. "It's okay," Finn said. "It's going to be okay." People didn't get too seriously injured from being pushed down stairs... right.

Donna looked over at Finn and Rachel. "Hey, I'm sure he'll be okay. Knowing Josh, he'll have him back on the trail tomorrow."

Finn hadn't even thought much about the campaign after seeing Rachel's anxiety. If Matt's injuries were too serious to keep campaigning, that could hand re-election to Vinick on a silver platter. Crap. All their hard work for nothing.

"It's going to be okay," Donna repeated.

"Yeah, I've been working with him since he started in Congress, I know him," Bram added. "It's going to be like this never happened in a few days."

"So have I," Ronna said. "He's going to get back on the trail even if he's broken a bone or something. I know him."

"And this can only make Vinick look bad," Otto added. "Being engaged to and hiring someone like that woman to run his campaign..."

"We've known her our whole lives," Rachel said through her tears. "She's a psycho and the fact that the president hired her shows that he's a psycho, too. We need to get him out of office. He's not fit to be president or even a member of city council. He should be in JAIL..."

"Is she okay?" Anna whispered to Finn.

Finn could tell that the other campaign staff members noticed how upset Rachel was. He just hoped they wouldn't get suspicious. Sure, these were their friends and Finn and Rachel knew that they could trust them, but they were at a hospital, a public place. And if people knew, someone might accidentally say something... and the slut shaming would get even worse... the religious right would attack the Santos campaign... things could potentially be devastating.

"I'm okay," Rachel said.

"For your first campaign, you two stepped right in," Donna said.

Finally, Josh came into the waiting room that had been provided for campaign staff. "How is he?"

"Well, he's got a broken arm and some bruises," Josh said. "He's regained consciousness, but he hit his head on the stairs."

A head injury. That couldn't be good. "He's awake and talking..." Josh continued. "The doctors expect him to make a full recovery..."

"What's wrong then?" Finn asked. He could tell by the look on his boss's face that there was some bad news.

Josh took a deep breath. "He can't remember what happened or even that he's running for president. He thinks that he needs to get to the floor to vote against that tax cut from two years ago. He has amnesia."

 _Chapter 30 preview: The campaign deals with having a candidate with amnesia. Sue finally gets what she deserves, but the Vinick campaign isn't done. Will they have a presidential candidate again by the time they get to New York for the final debate? Finchel also see their friends in New York - and meet Rachel's sister by Shelby for the first time._


	30. Chapter 30: Badge of Honor

_Hey everyone. Thank you SO much for all your support. I appreciate it all so much. Once again, the debate dialogue in this chapter is taken from the debate of the actual show. Speaking of shows - I can't believe yesterday marked one year without Glee! It's crazy! I miss Finchel every day... anyway, enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 30: Badge Of Honor

"Good evening. As you may have heard, after the debate this evening, Congressman Santos was pushed down stairs by President Vinick's campaign manager and fiance, Sue Sylvester. While the congressman is in stable condition and is awake and talking, he bumped his head, resulting in amnesia. While he recovers from his amnesia, he will be unable to campaign. On behalf of the entire campaign staff, as well as my wife Mallory and our son Grayson, I wish my friend and my partner in this journey a quick recovery and nothing but the best.

"I also can not ignore that an assault on a presidential candidate by the fiance and campaign manager of the President of the United States is appalling. Assault on any elected official is a crime, let alone a presidential candidate. The fact that such an act came from someone closely tied to the most powerful man in the world makes it even more dismaying. I hope that law enforcement will not give Ms. Sylvester any passes when pressing charges because of her ties to the president, rather, I feel that the fact that it was her who did this makes it even more wrong.

"Again, I hope you all join me in sending good thoughts to Congressman Santos. I hope to have him back on the campaign trail with me again soon. Thank you."

Rachel yawned as she listened to Seaborn's statement about the assault. Tonight had been completely miserable. She'd been so proud to see Matt finally call Vinick out for his unpresidential behavior and then Sue had come along. It had been disturbing enough that Sue could get away with assaulting students and colleagues at McKinley, but a presidential candidate? Surely she couldn't get away with this...

And now Matt had amnesia and couldn't remember that he was running for president. Not only could he not remember he was running for president, he thought it was two years earlier. This was serious. Rachel was concerned for her father, but she was also concerned for the campaign. How were they supposed to run a presidential campaign without a presidential candidate?

Helen had told the campaign to get back in action, to have Seaborn handle the presidential candidate appearances and get big name Democrats from throughout the country to handle the vice presidential candidate appearances. According to Josh, Helen had said that Matt wouldn't want them to miss more campaign time and that they could still deliver the message while he recovered. But how long would it take for him to get his memory back?

Rachel looked over at Finn. "How are you doing?"

"This fucking sucks," Finn groaned.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "It fucking sucks."

"He'll be okay," Finn said. "So will the campaign."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "I've already lost three parents..." she whispered, hoping the other staff wouldn't hear.

"No one dies from broken arms or amnesia," Finn said, kissing Rachel on the cheek.

"Are you two sure you're okay?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Rachel said.

Seaborn came back into the room. "I just talked to Vice President Sullivan on the phone. The secret service has taken Ms. Sylvester to jail. He apologized for what she did and said he doesn't expect her to get out of jail any time soon. He also extended his wishes for a quick recovery."

"She's finally in jail," Finn said. "She's belonged in jail for years."

Rachel couldn't help but notice that once again, it was Sullivan who was apologizing for a campaign staff member's over the line behavior, not Vinick. "What does Vinick have to say about this?"

"Sullivan didn't say," Seaborn said.

Of course he didn't. Vinick probably was angry that his fiance was in jail. "The bastard," Rachel groaned.

"We all are unhappy about this, but his injuries could have been worse," Seaborn said. "People usually recover from amnesia within a few days. I've known him for years, he'll be back in action before we know it.

"I hope," Rachel sighed.

"Are you two okay?" Seaborn asked. "You seem to be taking this pretty hard..."

"We're fine," Finn said as Rachel mentally thanked him for answering for her.

"All right then," Seaborn said. "Let's all get some sleep. We do have an event in Florida tomorrow and Helen told me that Matt will kick all our asses if we miss any events."

Rachel took Finn's hand and went upstairs. At least Sue was in jail...

x

Finn looked over the blog on the way to Florida. He and Rachel had to write a post about what had happened last night. Luckily, most of the comments were people saying they couldn't believe the president's campaign manager had done that and that they wished Matt a quick recovery. There were a couple of nasty comments from Vinick supporters, but that was to be expected.

Finn was glad that Sue Sylvester was finally in jail. He honestly thought she should have been there a long time ago. No school should have kept someone like that employed. He knew that she would sexually blackmail Figgins to keep her job, but he would have expected someone to sue the school or something at some point. Of course, she hadn't needed to sexually blackmail Vinick to have a job - they were genuinely attracted to one another. Quite frankly, Finn couldn't think of two more horrible people, so he figured they deserved each other. Vinick was still refusing to comment on what Sue had done, making Finn suspect he thought it was okay.

Finn also couldn't help but be concerned about Rachel. She'd slept fine last night, but maybe that was because she was so tired. He could tell how upset she was about her father losing his memory and being in the hospital. He could also tell that other staff members noticed how upset she was. Did they suspect something?

"Finn, look at this," Rachel said, holding up her iPad.

Finn leaned over and looked at the article Rachel was reading. The headline read, "President Announces He Has Cancer." Rachel clicked the video attached to play. "I've had cancer for a few months now," Vinick was saying. "I didn't want to tell the American people because I thought they'd think it would get in my way of being a great president, but my hair will be falling out from chemo soon, so I feel like they'll notice something and they should know..."

This reeked of bullshit.

"Finn, don't you find it odd that the DAY after his fiance slash campaign manager assaults his opponent and gets him in the hospital, he says this?" Rachel asked. "This reeks of bullshit. He's probably saying this to make everyone think he's the victim and distract them from the fact that he and Sue basically committed a crime..."

Finn was glad Rachel was having the same thoughts he was having. "Yeah, I don't believe that he has cancer. If he had cancer, he wouldn't be able to do all this campaigning. I remember when Burt was sick. You can't do chemo on an airplane."

"This guy is out of control," Rachel said. "Who does he think he is?"

"And what were the American people thinking when they elected him president?" Finn asked. "We've got to tell the senior staff about this."

Finn and Rachel went to the part of the bus where the senior campaign staff were waiting. "Did you see this?" Rachel asked, holding up her iPad.

Josh took Rachel's iPad and turned on the video as the rest of the senior staff looked on. "This is a big bold faced lie," Finn said.

"We have to expose him for the fraud that he is," Rachel added.

"Be careful of what you say," Josh said. "One of the few things worse than faking having cancer is accusing someone who really has cancer of faking it."

"Are you saying you think he actually has cancer?" Finn asked.

"I doubt it, but all our evidence is circumstantial," Josh said. "He'd obviously deny it if we say he's faking it, and that'll make us look bad..."

"We can't let him get away with this!" Rachel said.

"He's not going to get away with it," Josh said. "Eventually, he'll get caught."

x

Surprisingly, none of the media outlets made their stories seem like they were suspicious Vinick was lying about having cancer - but Finn and Rachel weren't the only ones with the suspicion. Comment sections of news articles were full of people noticing the same thing Finn and Rachel had noticed - that this announcement had come right after Vinick's fiance had given his opponent amnesia. Of course, Vinick supporters accused those people of being horrible people...

Meanwhile, the Santos campaign was managing as well as they could without a presidential candidate. The message could still be delivered, but without the presidential candidate, it wasn't quite the same. The vice presidential candidate and various governors and congress members were doing a good job and seemed to get the crowd excited.

Helen called the campaign every day to give updates on Matt. He was feeling better, but it was taking time for his memory to come back. Tomorrow was the debate and it was still undetermined if he'd be up to it. Of course, Vinick was being difficult - he said he wouldn't debate Seaborn because Seaborn was running for vice president, not president (even though the whole point of vice presidents was to assume the responsibilities if the presidential candidate couldn't).

Rachel did have other things on her mind as well - today, she was going to meet her half sister for the first time. The campaign had gotten into New York this morning and would spend today and tomorrow campaigning before the debate tomorrow night - if Vinick would debate Seaborn, that was.

"Are you nervous?" Finn asked Rachel as they walked around the NYU campus.

"Yeah," Rachel admitted. Finding out she had so many family members she didn't know about was so overwhelming. She'd really liked Kylie when they talked on the phone and on Skype, but meeting in person would still be different.

Finn and Rachel walked into the cafe where they'd be meeting Kylie. Rachel saw Kylie sitting at the table and then walked over. "Hi Kylie."

Kylie looked up. "Hi Rachel."

The girls walked toward each other before hugging each other. "It's good to finally meet you," Rachel said. "This is Finn, my boyfriend."

"Hey," Finn said.

"How are you doing?" Rachel asked Kylie.

"Well, you know," Kylie said. "I've been seeing a grief counselor and she says everything is normal, so that's something..."

"That's good," Rachel said.

"How are you?" Kylie asked.

"I'm seeing a therapist, too," Rachel said. "There've been good days and bad days..."

"I know what that's like," Kylie said. "Sometimes I wonder if it's better that I didn't ever meet her..."

Rachel felt bad that it was like that for her. "I do have good memories of her and of my dads... but it can be tough." What was she supposed to say? Would it be easier for her if she'd never known Shelby? Or would it be harder? "I guess there's no way of knowing how things would be easier or harder."

"Yeah," Kylie admitted. "Was one of your dads who raised you your actual dad?"

Rachel gulped. "I don't know who my birth father is."

"Oh," Kylie said. "Sorry."

Rachel tried to lighten the mood. "So, you like NYU?"

"Yeah," Kylie said. "There've been first semester struggles, but I'm glad I chose it for college. I'm taking Intro to College Life, US History: The Formative Period, College Writing I, College Algebra and Photography Basics."

"I bet," Rachel said.

"How's the Santos campaign?" Kylie asked.

"It's going as well as it can without the candidate," Rachel said.

"I can't believe Vinick's campaign manager did that," Kylie said.

"It shocked me and didn't surprise me at the same time," Finn said.

"How's he doing?" Kylie asked.

"Our vice presidential candidate talked to him this morning," Rachel said. "He's feeling better... we're hoping to have him back on the trail soon." Nothing about how much memory was back had been mentioned...

Kylie's phone vibrated. She looked at it, then pushed it aside. "Sorry, that was my boyfriend... I'll call him back later."

"You have a boyfriend?" Rachel asked, feeling older sibling instincts kicking in.

"Yeah, his name is Jack, he's actually from DC," Kylie said. "He's a pre-law major and we met in the NYU Students for Santos group. He's a great guy, don't worry."

"Well, I'd love to meet him," Rachel said. "You met Finn, so it's only fair."

"How's the Students for Santos compare with Students for Vinick?" Finn asked.

"We have at least four times as many members," Kylie said, making Finn and Rachel laugh. They spent some more time talking before going to the loft.

x

"Let me take another look at the ring," Kurt said as he and Finn hung out alone in Kurt's bedroom.

"Thanks for your help," Finn told his brother.

"How's she doing?" Kurt asked.

"She's doing better," Finn said. "This has been a tough week for the campaign..." He almost let it slip, but he couldn't, not even to his brother and Rachel's best friend.

"It sounds like you're forgetting to say something," Kurt said.

"Just... it hasn't been easy campaigning without a candidate, especially with Vinick out there still," Finn said. "All he talks about now is his cancer."

"I don't buy that he has cancer," Kurt said. "No one with cancer would have the energy to do that much campaigning."

Finn was glad he wasn't the only one who felt that way. "I don't buy it either, neither does anyone on the campaign staff."

"He's such a liar," Kurt said. "And he seems to be getting sympathy votes. Newspapers are talking about how strong he is for keeping on campaigning and being president while having cancer..."

Finn hadn't seen that, but he wasn't surprised. "Ugh. What about, you know, the candidate who was assaulted and got amnesia?"

"Vinick fans are calling him weak," Kurt said.

"He can't campaign if he can't remember things!" Finn groaned. What was wrong with these people?

"Hey, it'll be fine," Kurt said. "How ere things with Rachel's sister?"

"It was really nice," Finn said. "I knew Rachel was nervous, but I know now she's glad she did it."

"And speaking of siblings, I got some stuff for the babies," Kurt said, reaching out and handing Finn a diaper bag.

"A diaper bag?" Finn asked.

"Look inside," Kurt said.

Finn looked in the bag. There was a rattle, a bottle, a towel, some baby toys, some lotion, some ointment and some diapers. "Thought I'd get you guys some essentials."

Finn gave his brother a hug. "Thanks so much. You'll be a great godfather."

"Of course I will," Kurt said.

x

Kurt, Santana and Mercedes had taken Rachel baby shopping, leaving Finn at the loft with Blaine, Sam and Artie. Finn had hoped to use this to talk to the guys about the potential proposal - and it turned out the guys had similar thoughts. "So, since Kurt and the girls are out, tell us: when are you going to put that rock on Rachel's finger?" Artie asked.

"Yeah, I wish I'd gotten a ring that awesome for Kurt," Blaine added.

"I don't know," Finn said. "I'm waiting for the right time."

"Are you sure you're not just too nervous she'll say no?" Sam asked.

"No, of course not," Finn said. At least he hoped she'd say yes. "I just want everything to be perfect and for her... and before you ask, I'm not going to propose to her at a rally. I know Blaine and Kurt did a public proposal, and so did Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury, but I do want it to be private."

"Maybe that's a good idea," Blaine said.

"Yeah," Finn said. "I might plan a special date for her or something. I don't know."

"Don't let yourselves use work as a distraction," Artie said. "I know you're busy right now, but love doesn't wait."

"Like I said, I want it to be the right moment," Finn said. He turned to Blaine. "I know you planned a big proposal, but did you just... know that was the right time?"

"Honestly, if I had it to do over, I wouldn't have planned something big, I would have just let it happen," Blaine admitted. "I'm really sorry again about how people acted with us vs. with you."

"It's okay," Finn said. "Just promise you'll be supportive this time."

"We will," Sam said. "And we'll give you one awesome bachelor party."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I hope you don't let Puck have strippers..."

"Deal," Sam said. "I don't think Mercedes would allow that, either."

"Nor would Kitty," Artie added.

x

"Look at this one!" Mercedes said, pointing to a onesie with gold stars on it. Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes and Santana had gone shopping to look for baby clothes. Since Rachel wouldn't be able to have a baby shower with her friends, she wanted to do some shopping with them now. Kurt had gotten them a nice diaper bag with essentials earlier and she definitely wanted her friends' help with shopping.

"That's cute!" Rachel said.

"Or this one," Santana said, holding a onesie that said "My Daddy loves me more than football."

"We should get Santos/ Seaborn 2016 onesies for the babies," Kurt said. "Their parents did conceive them on the Santos/ Seaborn campaign."

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"So, when do you think Finn's going to pop the question?" Santana asked.

Rachel paused. She definitely was hoping that they'd get engaged soon. "I don't know."

"It's going to be soon, I'm sure," Mercedes said. "You know, there's comments on videos of your performances at the rallies saying they want you two to get married."

"Are you serious?" Rachel asked. "I don't read comments on videos other than the ones Finn and I post... the Vinick supporters get pretty nasty, especially since he announced his fake cancer."

"Yeah, everyone knows you two are going to get married," Santana said. "So, when's it going to be?"

Rachel turned to Kurt. "You're quiet."

"I know you two are going to get married, too," Kurt said. "I want you to officially be my sister."

"Me too," Rachel said. "I really want to marry Finn..."

"You could propose to him, it's a leap year," Kurt said.

"I can't kneel very well right now," Rachel said. "But like I said, I want to get married. Kurt, I'm sure you'll be Finn's best man, so Santana, will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course!" Santana said.

Rachel turned to Mercedes. "And will you be a bridesmaid?"

"Hell to the yes!" Mercedes said. "But you have to let me sing one of my songs at the reception."

"Yeah, for sure," Rachel said.

x

Finn had enjoyed the time in New York with his friends, but now it was back to work. Finn and Rachel had to get back to the debate hall at Columbia to attend the debate. To their surprise, they saw that Matt was back when they arrived. "Hey!" Finn said. "How are you doing?"

"Still a bit sore, but better," Matt said. "My memory's been back for a few days, but the doctor wanted me at the hospital so they could monitor everything. We didn't want to say anything until I had the doctor's approval to be back on the trail."

"You heard Vinick supposedly has cancer now?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, not sure if I believe that," Matt said.

"Well, the supporters missed you," Rachel said. "And we did too. How are you feeling?" Finn looked at Rachel, noticing that she looked nervous and relieved at the same time.

"I'm feeling better," Matt said. "This brace isn't ideal for shaking hands with supporters, but it could be worse."

"Vinick knows he's here," Josh said. "We'll see what he tries to pull tonight."

"It should be interesting," Rachel said as she and Finn went to their seats. They had their candidate back.

Vinick's look on his face when he saw that his opponent was back and appeared to be pretty much back to normal was priceless. The moderator greeted the audience, clearly hoping to keep things normal, and asked the first question. "How many jobs would you create in your second term, Mr. President?" the moderator asked.

"None," Vinick said smugly.

None? Did Vinick really think he could do that? Didn't he realize unemployment was at a high?

"In fact, I'll cut jobs," Vinick rambled. "I will reduce the number of jobs in the federal government. Now I know I'm supposed to tell you that my tax cuts are supposed to stimulate the economy and therefore create jobs. Entrepreneurs create jobs. Business creates jobs. The President's job is to get out of the way."

"Do you want a President who will get out of their way when corrupt executives are plundering a company like Enron?" Matt asked.

"Hey, I'll go after corporate crime," Vinick snapped. "My vice president, Ray Sullivan, was very tough on white-collar crime when he was a prosecutor and my Attorney General will be just as tough."

"Do you want a President who will get out of the way when airline executives are putting their companies into bankruptcy so that they can avoid the pension responsibilities to the workers that have dedicated their lives to those companies?" Matt asked.

"Some of our older airlines are having trouble meeting their huge pension obligations at the very same time when they're facing intense competition from low-cost airlines that are so new they don't yet have pensions to pay. Now, an unthinking liberal will describe the airline bankruptcies as the evil capitalists screwing the workers," Vinick said in a mocking tone.

"I didn't say that Mr. President and I don't think you should put words in my mouth," Matt said.

"No. Of course you didn't say it. You're not an unthinking liberal. Are you?" Vinick asked.

"I know you like to use that word 'liberal' as if it were a crime," Matt said.

"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used that word. I know Democrats think liberal is a bad word. So bad you had to change it. What do you call yourselves now, progressives? Is that it?" Vinick asked, sounding more and more snobby.

"It's true. Republicans have tried to turn liberal into a bad word. Well, liberals ended slavery in this country," Matt pointed out."

"A Republican President ended slavery," Vinick said, looking more and more annoyed.

"Yes, a liberal Republican, Mr. President," Matt said. "What happened to them? They got run out of your party. What did liberals do that was so offensive to the Republican party? I'll tell you what they did. Liberals got women the right to vote. Liberals got African-Americans the right to vote. Liberals created Social Security and lifted millions of elderly people out of poverty. Liberals ended segregation. Liberals passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act. Liberals created Medicare. Liberals passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act. What did Conservatives do? They opposed them on every one of those things every one. So when you try to hurl that label at my feet, 'Liberal,' as if it were something to be ashamed of, something dirty, something to run away from, it won't work, Mr. President, because I will pick up that label and I will wear it as a badge of honor."

A badge of honor. Being a liberal definitely was a badge of honor. Matt wasn't the only one wearing the label as a badge of honor. Finn was, too, and he knew Rachel was.

And judging by the audience's applause, lots of them were, too.

This wasn't bad for a guy who was in the hospital 48 hours ago. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull it off.

 _Chapter 31 preview: The campaign is in its home stretch, putting pressure on everyone involved._


	31. Chapter 31: Homestretch

_Hey! I hope those of you who celebrate it had a great Easter. I actually went home for a few days and saw my extended family for the first time since Christmas, so that's why it was longer than usual for the update. I hope you guys understand. Speaking of the story - it's hard to believe the election is almost here. Don't worry, there's still more that needs to happen after the election! Anyway, enjoy and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 31: Homestretch

It was hard to believe that the election was in sight. The debates were over and there were just a few final weeks - then the voting would happen.

At this time last year, the Santos campaign was still struggling to catch up with Russell in polls for the Democratic nomination. The debates had just started at this time last year and now they had just ended. Hopefully, they wouldn't be seeing Vinick again until Inauguration Day, when the reins would hopefully be passed.

It was hard to believe that the end was in sight. Finn remembered when he'd filled out the application online last summer, hoping it would amount to something. He didn't know how much this would amount to. He was happier than he'd ever been. He'd hoped to propose to Rachel while in New York, but he hadn't gotten the nerve. He didn't know why he was holding back - his parents were happy he wanted to do with and the guys had encouraged him to go for it.

He still had the ring in his pocket. He was surprised Rachel hadn't seen it. Then again, they were exhausted much of the time. Finn didn't know how Rachel managed to do all of this while being eight months pregnant. They did a performance at most of the rallies and would usually do some door knocking. There would also be a few hours on the bus every day. Finn and Rachel's seats were comfortable enough, but not super comfortable.

The campaign had returned to Chicago once again. Finn and Rachel had met up with Mike for lunch and now they were back at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were playing the Red Sox for the final game of the world series and the Cubs had asked for Finn and Rachel to sing the national anthem and to have campaign staff throw out the first pitches. (The Cubs wanted the candidate himself to throw it, but thanks to Sue, he couldn't...) Finn and Rachel would both be throwing pitches. After the game would be a rally in the field. Then they'd have to get back to the hotel and head up to Wisconsin for the day tomorrow. In the final month of the campaign, Josh had told Finn and Rachel to schedule events in all 48 continental states. Finn and Rachel had done that, but all this traveling was exhausting.

"You look cute in that jacket," Finn told Rachel as they started to head out.

"You do too," Rachel said. "So, who are you rooting for?"

"Cubs," Finn said. "Both teams come from cool cities that are likely to go to us, but cubs are cuter than socks. Plus, we've had some nice times at Wrigley Field."

"Me too," Rachel said. "New Yorkers don't like the Red Sox."

"So, you still consider yourself a New Yorker?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, I probably always will," Rachel said. "I do love New York. Even if I don't go back to Broadway, I love the city."

"I just wonder where we'll be after this," Finn said.

"In case we do get jobs in the administration, I applied to the University of Washington DC," Rachel said. "Even if I only took a few classes... I do want to get a degree. I could see if he could get me a part time job and work something out for the little ones..."

"I had the same idea," Finn said. "I do want to finish my degree."

"Yeah, I think the past year has proven that we can do anything," Rachel said. "I hope we can get jobs in the administration where we can bring the little ones with us..."

"Yeah," Finn added.

"I just don't want them to go through what I've been going through..." Rachel said.

Finn knew that the past year had been good for Rachel in some ways, but family wise, it had been a tough year. "If you want to talk to him, we can talk to him together."

"We can't take any risks until after the election," Rachel said. "You overheard his talk about me, the wrong person could overhear it."

x

The campaign had arrived in Ohio. The Santos campaign would be having a combined appearance with the Hummel campaign so there could be some cross campaigning. Being home was a bit comforting, to some extent, but being in Ohio was VERY stressful. Ohio was one of the most crucial swing states - back in 2004, it had given Ritchie his second term... Being back in Ohio would also create some awkwardness. After the bombings... that was the first thing everyone thought of when they thought of Ohio. Much of the damage of the bombing had been cleaned up, but everyone knew that this was where the bombings had been. There were reminders and being back there reminded Finn and Rachel of everything that had happened. Could something like this happen again?

Furthermore, would Rachel lose someone else if there was another attack? She'd already lost the men who'd raised her... what if something else happened and she lost Finn, or Matt, or one of her siblings, or one of her friends? The attack happening right before the election seemed strange... clearly someone wasn't happy with this country... but were the attackers anti-Santos or anti-Vinick or just anti-America in general... Rachel didn't know. She managed to talk to Finn. "Does being back here remind you of 9/11/16?" Now there were two 9/11s...

"Yeah," Finn said. The rally was being held in Cleveland... the campaign thought that having a rally in Columbus wouldn't be such a good idea after what happened...

Rachel leaned over to Finn and gave him a hug. "You seemed quiet on the bus."

"I know," Finn said softly. "This is where we grew up, where we fell in love... and this is the state that got attacked..."

"I know we probably won't live in Ohio again, but it's still special to me," Rachel said.

Finn rubbed Rachel's hand. "Yeah."

The campaign bus pulled up at Progressive Field, where the rally would be held. As Rachel watched Finn go greet Burt, Carole and Kurt, she felt a bit of jealousy. Finn still had his family with him, right here, right now. Finn had lost his father before he was born, so Burt basically was his father. Rachel couldn't even tell Matt that he was her father. She had no idea how Helen would react to finding out she was Matt's daughter or how Peter and Miranda would react to finding out that she was their sister. She could talk to Kylie and Beth on the phone in New York, but it wasn't the same...

"Rachel!" Kurt said, coming over to hug Rachel.

"Hey," Rachel said. "You enjoying campaigning for your dad?"

"Yeah," Kurt said. "It's nice to be back in Ohio... it's my first time back after what happened..."

Rachel looked down. Finn put his arm around her. "Baby, you know in other ways, you still have a family... I know it's not the same... but you have me and the babies and Kylie and Beth and my family and our glee family and our Santos campaign family..."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. "We should focus on the campaign. Just think, if your dad wins this seat, both Ohio's senators will be Democratic..."

"That'll be great, won't it?" Finn asked.

"Burt's up by nine points in the polls," Blaine said. "And when I checked the Times before we left, I saw that your beautiful candidate is up by two."

"BLAINE!" Kurt shouted.

"If only we could get up by more than five," Rachel said.

"I don't know why ANYONE is voting for Vinick," Kurt said. "He has no plans, but Santos has great plans for education and health care, and by looking at his site, it's clear he wants to improve foreign relations..."

"Yeah," Finn said. "And he actually cares about the attacks. He has stricter laws in mind for purchasing things people could use for those sorts of things possibly happening again..."

"He's recovered from what happened to him," Rachel said. "You'd never think he had amnesia. I can't believe Sue really did that."

"It's crazy," Kurt said. "At least she's finally in jail."

"If he wins, she'll probably end up getting a lifetime in jail for assaulting a president," Finn said.

Burt and Carole walked over to Finn and Rachel. "How are you doing?" Carole asked Rachel.

"Better," Rachel admitted. "Having your son has helped me."

"He's a special guy, isn't he?" Carole asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I can only hope to have him as my husband one day."

"Is there something you two aren't telling us?" Burt asked.

"No, nothing," Rachel said. She hoped that she and Finn would get engaged soon, but they weren't yet.

"I hope the four of you have a great number in mind for the rally," Burt said.

"We do, trust me," Finn said. "I'm sorry I can't be there on Election Night."

"You guys ready to go out there?" Rachel asked Kurt and Blaine.

"Yeah!" Kurt said as the four of them took the stage to open the rally.

 _Finn: The heart is a bloom_

 _Shoots up through the stony ground_

 _There's no room_

 _No space to rent in this town_

 _Rachel: You're out of luck_

 _And the reason that you had to care_

 _The traffic is stuck_

 _And you're not moving anywhere_

 _Kurt: You thought you'd found a friend_

 _To take you out of this place_

 _Blaine: Someone you could lend a hand_

 _In return for grace_

 _Blaine, Kurt, Finn and Rachel: It's a beautiful day_

 _Sky falls, you feel like_

 _It's a beautiful day_

 _Don't let it get away_

 _Finn: You're on the road_

 _But you've got no destination_

 _Rachel: You're in the mud_

 _In the maze of her imagination_

 _Kurt: You love this town_

 _Even if that doesn't ring true_

 _Blaine: You've been all over_

 _And it's been all over you_

 _Blaine, Kurt, Finn and Rachel: It's a beautiful day_

 _Don't let it get away_

 _It's a beautiful day_

 _Finn and Rachel: Touch me_

 _Take me to that other place_

 _Blaine and Kurt: Teach me_

 _I know I'm not a hopeless case_

 _Finn: See the world in green and blue_

 _See China right in front of you_

 _Kurt: See the canyons broken by cloud_

 _See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out_

 _Blaine: See the Bedouin fires at night_

 _See the oil fields at first light_

 _Rachel: And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth_

 _After the flood all the colors came out_

 _Blaine and Kurt: It was a beautiful day_

 _Finn and Rachel: Don't let it get away_

 _Blaine, Kurt, Finn and Rachel: Beautiful day_

 _Blaine and Kurt: Touch me_

 _Take me to that other place_

 _Finn and Rachel: Reach me_

 _I know I'm not a hopeless case_

 _Blaine, Kurt, Finn and Rachel: What you don't have you don't need it now_

 _What you don't know you can feel it somehow_

 _What you don't have you don't need it now_

 _Don't need it now_

 _Was a beautiful day_

"Thank you so much," Finn said as the applause came in. "Today is a beautiful day. November 9 will be a beautiful day as well, as we send Matt Santos to the White House and Burt Hummel to the US Senate!"

"The past few weeks have been rough, but if I've learned anything from these past few weeks, it's that Matt Santos can make it through anything and that nothing will stop him from being a great president," Rachel said.

"Matt Santos has great plans for the country and Burt Hummel has great plans for Ohio," Blaine added. "At this time next year, Kurt and I will be married - and if Matt Santos is president, we'll be married legally."

The crowd cheered. "Matt Santos and Burt Hummel have created more bills than any other members of the US House of Representatives in the past six years, despite that being the only time they've been there," Kurt said. "I think it's time we give them promotions. Please welcome the next President of the United States and the next US Senator from Ohio!"

x

"So, Rachel doesn't have the ring yet, I see," Carole said to Finn after the rally.

"Yeah," Finn said. "I was going to propose in New York originally, but I kept chickening out..."

"You know she'll say yes," Carole said.

"Yeah, I know she will, at least I'm pretty sure she will," Finn said.

"You'l know when it's the right time," Burt said.

Rachel came over, letting Finn know that it was time to stop this conversation. "Hey you," he said, giving Rachel a quick kiss.

"Hey baby," Rachel said. "We should probably get back to the hotel... we do need to get to Kentucky and Tennessee tomorrow morning..."

"I know, but it's worthless, since we know those states will go to Vinick," Finn said.

"You don't know for sure," Carole said.

"We can hope," Finn said. He gave his mom a hug. "It was great to see you."

"You too," Carole said.

After Finn and Rachel said goodbye to Finn's family, they went back to the hotel and Rachel immediately pulled Finn on top of their bed. "Make love to me."

"You have enough energy for sex after all today's events?" Finn asked.

"Yes," Rachel said. "I'll always have energy for sex. Plus, after these little ones get here, I have a feeling we won't have time for it very much..."

"That is probably true," Finn said. He pulled off his clothes and lay next to Rachel on the bed, kissing her as he moved in closely.

x

This time Finn and Rachel did not break the hotel bed. Rachel ended up falling asleep soon, but Finn was still awake. He couldn't sleep. Hoping to fall asleep, he turned on the TV.

"And with less than two weeks to go, polls consistently show President Vinick and Democratic congressman and presidential candidate Matt Santos in a dead heat for the presidency," the news anchor said. "President Vinick's ratings are in the forties. Unemployment is at its highest since the 1940s and over 70% of Americans feel that the country is on the wrong track. Of course, we can't ignore the Ohio bombing, an act of domestic terrorism, either, and the fact that the president treated it as an afterthought. Looking at those statistics, it's hard to believe that Congressman Santos, who has in depth plans laid out for helping the economy, does not have more of an edge."

"Yeah, it is," Finn mumbled. Maybe this was a mistake.

"What do you think it is holding back voters from supporting Congressman Santos?" the other news anchor asked. "It goes without saying that he also tried to create multiple bills for health care, education and the economy in the House, but most of them failed or were vetoed by the president..."

"The country is in bad shape, there's no denying that," the first anchor said. "But is possible that in these difficult times, people may prefer a known to an unknown."

"Yes, Vinick's supporters call themselves the silent majority," the second anchor added.

Finn groaned as he turned off the TV. Vinick made his stomach hurt. Vinick's supporters made his stomach hurt. Sure, the anchors had almost sounded like they were endorsing Santos... but at the same time...

Finn went to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. Whatever. The food they'd had today was gross. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn't the American people realize that Vinick was a horrible excuse for a human who had no business being president?

Finn felt tears coming to his eyes. He almost never cried. Guys didn't cry. He didn't want to wake Rachel, so he sat on the bathroom floor and started crying.

A few moments later, Rachel came into the bathroom. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Finn felt horrible. He didn't want to wake Rachel. "We can't let Vinick win this election."

Rachel sat next to Finn and put her arms around him. "We won't."

Finn wrapped his arms around Rachel. "I'm so sorry, Rach."

Rachel gave Finn a kiss. "You've been here for me these past few months. Of course I'm going to be here for you."

"I love you," Finn said, hugging Rachel.

"I love you too," Rachel said.

"What's going to happen if Vinick wins?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Like the past four years, I guess. I'd say I didn't think the country could be worse off, but every time I think Vinick can't get worse, he does." She sighed. "At least no matter what happens, we'll have each other and our babies."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I love you."

"How about we have some more sex to tire you out and cheer you up?" Rachel asked.

"That sounds good," Finn said.

x

"I'm giving you a gold star!" Vinick said on TV to a supporter at his rally. The Santos campaign staff was on the bus on their way to Kentucky, watching the live coverage of the Vinick rally.

"What the hell?" Finn asked. He was reminded of when Rachel put gold star stickers next to her name.

"Oh, he hands them out to his supporters when he hears them say things they like," Otto said.

Rachel looked disgusted. "WHAT?!"

"When Rachel and I were in high school, she used to put gold stars next to her name," Finn said.

"Finn!" Rachel said.

Finn smiled at Rachel teasing him. Then he remembered that he wanted to do something. "Where's the congressman?"

"He's in his compartment in the back of the bus," Bram said.

"I just need to go check something with him," Finn said. "I'll be right back." Last night - the sex, the way Rachel was there for him after his breakdown... it solidified things for him. However, he knew that he should get the bride's father's approval before asking her to marry him. And even though Matt didn't know that Finn knew... Finn still wanted his approval.

Finn walked into the compartment. "Hey."

"Hey," Matt said.

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Finn asked.

"Of course," Matt said.

Finn gulped. How was he supposed to say something without giving away that he knew? He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "I got this for Rachel."

"You did?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "I want to ask her to marry me... it's like I told you early on... she's the one, I know it. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. She makes me so happy. She makes me whole. She and I help make each other better people. I can see her as the best wife and the best mother... it's hard for me to put how much I love her into words. I know she and I have had a long and tough journey, but it's all proven that she's the one."

"I'm happy for you," Matt said. "If I were you, I'd go for it. You know she's the one and you and I both know she knows you're the one."

Finn nodded, trying to come up with a way to ask without giving away that he knew. "If her dads were still here, do you think they'd give me their blessing? If she was your daughter, would I have your blessing?"

"Her dads give you their blessing, I know they do," Matt said to Finn. "And yes, if I was the one being asked for the blessing, I'd definitely say yes. I've watched you and Rachel grow since you joined the campaign and I know that the two of you are going to build a great life together."

Finn smiled. "Thank you."

x

Rachel stood on the stage. Some more time had gone by, and it was the night before election day. This was the final rally of the campaign, being held in Dallas before the campaign went to Houston for the results.

It was hard to believe how much time had gone by. At this time two years ago, Rachel was in the middle of the TV show debacle. Now here she was, standing on the stage at The Galleria Dallas, ready to perform at the final rally of the Santos-Seaborn campaign.

To some extent, she was sad, too. This was it. There weren't going to be any more rallies. As stressful as campaigning could be, she loved the rallies. She loved talking to all the supporters. She loved performing. She loved seeing the crowds' excitement.

At times, it felt like the stressful parts of this job overshadowed the good parts. But when she looked back at this, it would be the good things she'd be telling her kids about. It would be that this was how she'd reunited with Finn, how she'd found and developed a relationship with her biological father, how she'd reconnected with her friends and made new ones, how she'd convinced so many people to support a cause, how she'd been to all fifty states...

The music for the duet she and Finn would be performing tonight to close the rally was beginning. Rachel hoped that she wouldn't cry, but she wouldn't be surprised if she did.

 _Finn: Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

 _And I say it's all right_

 _Rachel: Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter_

 _Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here_

 _Finn and Rachel_ _: Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

 _And I say it's all right_

 _Finn_ _: Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces_

 _Rachel: Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here_

 _Finn and Rachel_ _: Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

 _And I say it's all right_

 _Sun, sun, sun, here it comes_

 _Sun, sun, sun, here it comes_

 _Sun, sun, sun, here it comes_

 _Sun, sun, sun, here it comes_

 _Sun, sun, sun, here it comes_

 _Finn_ _: Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting_

 _Rachel: Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear_

 _Finn and Rachel_ _: Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

 _And I say it's all right_

 _Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

 _It's all right, it's all right_

Luckily, Rachel wasn't crying again at the end of the song. As she and Finn walked off the stage together, Finn seemed to know Rachel was sad. "Hey, you'll get to do this again in four years."

"Yeah," Rachel said. God, she hoped more than anything that in four years, they'd be campaigning for Matt's re-election. She'd felt a bit uncomfortable since she found out that he was her dad, but that didn't mean she didn't want him to win. She was just worried if she spent too much time with him, she might accidentally say something, or get too attached...

But as he walked by, Rachel had to smile. "Your final stump speech sounded good."

"We had a good campaign, didn't we?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, we did," Rachel said. "You're going to be a really great president. The country will be lucky to have you."

"I was lucky to have you two," Matt said. "You know any job either of you want in the administration is yours."

Rachel hadn't known that. "Wow."

"Thank you," Finn managed to say.

"You don't need to do that," Rachel said.

"I do," Matt said. "You guys really went above and beyond. You connected with people you talked to about the issues and came up with some great things to say on the blog."

"I just can't believe tomorrow's the day," Rachel said. She gulped. "Do you think we'll win?"

"Yeah," Matt said. "I think we will."

 _Chapter 32 preview: Election Day is here... enough said._


	32. Chapter 32: Election Day (Part 1)

_Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all your support! As you can tell, Election Day is here! Since it's so big, I'm dividing it into two parts - my first two parter! It makes me so sad that this story is coming to a close. It's by far my favorite I've written and I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Anyway, I'm not done yet, so I shouldn't talk like that - still a few more chapters! But enjoy and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 32: Election Day (Part 1)

The hotel room was dark and quiet. From the window, Rachel could tell it was dark outside as well. The one bit of light in the room was the numbers on the clock: 3:12 AM, 11/08/16. Those numbers glared at Rachel, making her head and her stomach hurt even more than they already did. There was no putting it off anymore. Election Day was here.

Rachel wasn't sure how much she'd eaten yesterday. Not very much. Under any other circumstances, she'd be starving if she'd barely eaten over the past few days. But she was too nervous to eat. Even though she was too nervous to sleep as well, she was exhausted. But every time she closed her eyes, she could see the television declaring that the president had been re-elected.

Rachel rolled over and looked at Finn, noticing her boyfriend was awake as well. "Can't sleep?" She'd hoped at least Finn had managed to get some sleep.

"No," Finn pouted.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She could tell by the look on Finn's face that he was just as nervous as she was. She didn't know what else to say. What else was there to say? They'd spent the past sixteen months working as hard as they could for the Santos campaign, but now, all that was left to do was make sure people got out to vote - and then all that would be left was to wait.

"You should try to get some sleep," Finn said.

"Can you sleep?" Rachel asked.

"Well, no," Finn admitted. "I just wish there was more that we could do, you know?"

"Yeah," Rachel admitted. "Me too." But there was nothing left to do.

"I checked the polls this morning," Finn sighed. "Most recently, we're still tied, 49-49..."

"Tied," Rachel sighed.

When Rachel had first joined the Santos campaign, she thought didn't think that they'd be tied with the incumbent president in polls on Election Day. She would have thought that she'd love to be tied in the polls on Election Day. But she couldn't be more stressed out to be tied. Why couldn't they be up a few points? Then again, if they were up a few points, if they lost, it would make things more painful...

She didn't get how the Santos campaign could lose the election. Then again, she didn't understand why the country had elected Vinick president back in 2012. It wasn't even just about the issues, though Vinick's stands on the issues were horrible. Everything that came out of Vinick's mouth was offensive. He made racist comments, homophobic comments, sexist comments, anti-Islamic comments, mocked disabled people... and the country was in bad shape. Every time a leader another country said they disagreed with the American government, Vinick threatened war. Health care costs had sky rocketed. The education system was a mess. Unemployment was at its highest in over 50 years. The government was still interfering with women's rights to choose and was passing laws against gay people. And of course, history had repeated itself when once again, America was attacked on 9/11 - only this time, it was an attack of domestic violence. And Vinick didn't seem to care.

If this went on for another four years, would there even be a way to fix it? And would there be a candidate as great as the candidate she'd spent the last sixteen months working for when the 2020 election rolled around?

She had her own selfish reasons for wanting to win the election, too. After high school, her life had been one big downward spiral. All her post high school endeavors had failed, eventually to a point where she couldn't even get a job as a cleaning lady. But the Santos campaign had taken a chance by hiring her as an aide. When she'd gotten a chance to prove herself, they'd let her go beyond the normal aide responsibilities and she liked to think she'd done well.

And of course, there was Finn. When he'd told her no contact after their post-graduation breakup, she thought she'd never see or hear from him again. But every day, she missed him, thought about him, longed for the life she'd imagined they could build together. But he hadn't wanted contact with her.

So it added to the surprises when she came into DC to start her job at the Santos campaign and found him there as well. At first, things had been awkward, but now they were stronger than ever. All the issues they'd had in the past weren't there anymore and she was more confident than ever that they could build a life together...

"I hate waiting," Finn said, interrupting Rachel's thoughts.

"Me too," Rachel said. "And polls haven't even opened yet."

x

"It's unusually warm for November," Finn commented as he and Rachel walked through the hotel's courtyard. Neither of them thought they could get sleep, so if they walked around a little, maybe that could get them tired enough to get some sleep. Well, there was a campaign staff meeting at 7 in the morning, but...

"We are in Texas, not Ohio anymore," Rachel commented. "Maybe it's a sign that good things are coming."

"We can hope," Finn said. He had never been this nervous in his entire life. For the past sixteen months, he'd given the Santos campaign everything he had. All the late nights and early mornings, all the phone calls, all the blog posts, all the events, all the literature, all the talking with voters... this was it. There was nothing left to do. His heart felt like it was beating a million miles a minute. He didn't want to think about what might happen if the election didn't go well. It wouldn't just be a big blow to the country if the president was re-elected, it would be devastating to him.

For the first time since high school graduation, he was happy. As stressful as the campaign could be, he loved it. He loved talking to the voters. He loved seeing how enthusiastic the crowd got at rallies. He loved feeling like he was part of making a difference. He hoped he could get a job in the Santos administration if the campaign came through - but would it?

He felt his pocket. The ring was in there. He'd hoped to propose to Rachel on election day. This would be a big day for them and if they got engaged on this day, they could look back at today as a good day, no matter how the election turned out. But he was getting more and more nervous about that. Things had been great since they'd gotten back together, but would she say yes? Did she want to spend the rest of their lives together? This was a huge step... and they'd had troubles when they dated in high school... then again, they'd both grown up a lot since they joined the campaign...

As Finn and Rachel entered the hotel lobby, the television was on. "If this isn't an exciting day, I don't know what is," the TV anchor was saying. "For weeks, the polls have shown President Vinick and Democratic Congressman and Presidential Candidate Matthew Santos in a dead heat... I hope everyone interested is asleep tonight could be a very long night..."

"Yeah, like we could sleep," Rachel said.

"We can try," Finn said.

"Maybe we should try," Rachel said. "It's going to be a long night.."

x

Finn and Rachel managed to sleep for about two hours before the 7 a.m. staff meeting. Finn couldn't help but notice how nervous everyone looked at the meeting. The campaign staff had tried to be optimistic, but this was really happening now. They couldn't just keep saying that they could keep working harder.

The candidate himself came in. At the end of the night, would he be the president-elect? Or would he just be a losing presidential candidate?

"I'm used to delivering my stump speech, but I don't have to now," Matt said. "I do have a few things I want to say to all of you: this is it. This is the conclusion of everything we've worked for. I know that this has been a difficult road, but it has been a good ride, and I hope the good times have balanced out the stress for you all. I also wanted to say that I appreciate everything each and every one of you did for this campaign. I am so lucky to have had all of you as my staff. I'm just going to ask for one more thing: call your family members and friends and tell them to get out there and vote."

Finn couldn't help but notice that even the candidate himself looked nervous. The candidate had been more than a candidate to him and Rachel on the trail - he'd been like a second father. This was who Finn had talked to about proposing to Rachel again, about their history, about his feelings for her... he was definitely going to miss working for him. At 22, Finn and Rachel were the youngest members of the main campaign staff. Maybe that was why the candidate had taken them under his wing.

"Well, we might as well call our family members and friends and tell them to get out and vote, you heard him," Rachel said.

"Yeah," Finn said. He got out his phone and began dialing his parents' numbers, his brother's, his friends'... since it was so early, he kept getting voicemails, but at least he was able to leave the messages. He was sure he sounded tired and stressed in the messages. In fact, he felt a bit guilty. He couldn't remember the last time he'd called most of his friends and now he was calling them to tell them to go vote.

"Polls open in five, four, three, two, one," Josh announced to the staff. Finn gave Rachel a nervous look. It was beginning.

x

Rachel rolled over in the bed and looked at Finn, who was still asleep. After the phone calls, Matt had told the whole staff to go back to their rooms and nap for two hours since tonight would be a long night and no one looked like they had gotten much sleep. She was hoping for a job in the Santos administration - and of course she was hoping Finn would get one, too. She'd lost him before and she didn't want to lose him again. Since they'd gotten back together after the Iowa caucuses, they'd woken up in bed next to each other almost every day. She wanted to do this for the rest of their lives.

The alarm went off and Finn woke up. "Guess we should get downstairs," Finn said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She turned on her phone to see a text from her sister, letting her know that the lines for the polls had been long, but people didn't seem to be leaving. She showed the text to Finn.

"Good," Finn said. "My brother said that the lines were pretty long too... I just hope it was Santos voters."

"Me too," Rachel said. She turned on the TV, hoping that there would be something to distract from the stress. Instead, they showed side-by-side footage of the two candidates voting. More reminders that this was really happening. She took Finn's hand and walked him downstairs to meet up with the staff.

Finn and Rachel were assigned to make some phone calls. They'd made thousands of phone calls since they joined the campaign. Probably tens of thousands of calls. Lots of people didn't answer. Did that mean that they were at the polls? She hoped so.

Usually lists of phone calls to make seemed too long. Today, the list seemed too short. There was a whole country worth of people to convince to vote Santos. She'd spent over a year trying to convince people to vote Santos. The Santos campaign had been going on even longer than that - nearly two years. But it still didn't feel like enough time.

The campaign had plans laid out for improving all the messes Vinick had created in the country. However, for whatever reason, there were people who couldn't see that the country was a mess. There were people who thought that the country was in good shape and that the things Vinick said were okay. Silent majority indeed.

"We've got the first round of exit polls," Josh said, coming in with a sheet.

Rachel's heart stopped. Back in 2012, the exit polls showed that the Democratic president at the time in the lead. Instead, Vinick had been elected.

"We're up by 3 in Colorado, up by 4 in New Mexico, up by 2 in Nevada, up by 3 in Iowa, down by 1 in Indiana, up by 2 in Ohio, up by 1 in Texas, up by 3 in Virginia, up by 1 in North Carolina and up by 1 in Florida..." Josh read.

Lots of the campaign staff started cheering, but Rachel just looked over at Finn, who also had a nervous look. Four years ago, they were just out of high school and didn't pay as much attention, but they knew that the exit polls hadn't shown the end result.

It wasn't time to get excited yet.

There might not be a time to get excited.

x

The day was going by so slowly, too slowly. Finn was now at the Santos house waiting for updates for the candidate and his family and keeping the campaign's social media up to date. (Matt was upstairs sleeping and Helen had instructed Finn not to wake him up, but Finn was glad to be at the house rather than at the hotel. Being at the house was more relaxing. Well, as relaxing as things could be today. Rachel had been there, too, but then Donna had called to ask her to pick up some food for tonight to bring to the hotel. The updates Finn was seeing were more of the same though.

Matt come downstairs. "Hey," Finn said. "Did you have a good nap?'

"Yeah," Matt said. "I'm about to go get the kids from school, want to come with me?"

"Sure," Finn said. This would be an opportunity to get out and about for a little.

The ride to the school was quiet. Matt eventually turned to Finn. "You nervous?"

"Yeah," Finn admitted. "You?"

"I think I'm ready," Matt said.

Finn felt tears coming to his eyes. He'd promised himself he'd never cry in front of the presidential candidate. He'd made it this far. But now here he was, tears coming out. "I just really want to win. Before I joined this campaign, my life was hell. I was at University of Lima and working at a tire shop and not talking to Rachel... now I'm on a presidential campaign and close to being engaged to her and about to have babies with her. I wanted to prove that I was special. I wanted to prove that I could do something. I want this so badly, not just for the country, but for me." Crap. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Hey," Matt said, patting Finn's back. "You are special. Come here."

Finn leaned over as he shared a hug with who he hoped would be the president. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't see me like this. I've tried to be tough, but I'm so nervous..."

"It's okay to be nervous," Matt said. "You know, I'm so proud of you, Finn. You and Rachel. You two really are special. From the scared people who walked into headquarters when it all began, to the strong, capable, confident young man and woman today... it's amazing."

"Really?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Matt said. "No matter what, you and Rachel won. But I have a good feeling we'll win."

Finn picked up a tissue. "Thanks."

"And you shouldn't hold back from proposing," Matt said. "You love her. She loves you. Go ahead and do it. I know you were worried about her dads maybe not approving, but trust me Finn. They approve. They'd be proud of her. And of you."

Did Matt know Finn knew who Rachel's father was? Finn couldn't help but wonder. His thoughts were interrupted when Peter and Miranda came into the car, looking more scared than any little kid should look.

Tonight would be stressful. There was no way around it.

x

Rachel paced around the Santos house, nervously waiting for Finn to get back. When she got back from running errands for tonight, she was hoping Finn would be there, but he wasn't. Helen had told Rachel that Finn went along to pick the kids up from school. Why couldn't Finn just be here? Rachel needed him now.

Finally, Finn came in, and Rachel ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey," Finn said softly.

"I'm not ready for this," Rachel sighed. "There had to be more we could have done..."

"I know," Finn said. "But all that's left is to wait."

"Yeah," Rachel said. She could feel the babies moving a lot more than usual today and moved Finn's hand on to her stomach. "They're nervous, too."

"I don't blame them," Finn said. "I want a good world for them to live in... but I don't even know if things can be fixed if Vinick wins tonight."

Rachel felt close to tears. "I know we can give them a good world in our house, but I want a good world outside of it too..."

"We did what we could, right?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Tomorrow, I just want to be able to look at the future with excitement for the world our children are about to enter." She sighed. "I wish I could ease your fears."

"Me too," Finn said.

"Having you keeps them from getting worse though," Rachel admitted.

x

The day had crawled by. In some ways, Finn just wanted the polls to close so that he'd know. But now, the first polls would be closing in about ten minutes and Finn was nowhere near prepared to hear the results.

Finn looked over at Rachel. He'd hoped to propose to her today so whatever the outcome was, today could be remembered as a good day.

But none of the times today had seemed right. He was so stressed out. She was so stressed out. It all was so serious and too much to handle. The entire country's future was at stake.

The campaign staff sat in the hotel room with the candidate and his family as the CNN anchors talked about the campaign. It was nothing they didn't already know. Talk about the campaign was worthless. All Finn wanted to know were the results. Seeing clips of the Santos campaign made Finn more worried about the results - and sad about what might be happening. Seeing clips of the Vinick campaign led to another emotion - anger.

CNN announced the first poll closings. Shortly after, the first calls were made: Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia for Vinick, Vermont for Santos.

"And so it begins," Rachel groaned to Finn. No one expected these states to go any other way, but it was still upsetting. 270 electoral votes were needed to win, Vinick had 33, their campaign had three.

Some good news came after the 8 p.m. poll closings - Pennsylvania and Illinois were called for Santos. Both were big states that were pretty much guaranteed for them, but at least they were big and could help with the total. New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware and Maryland were called as Santos states as well, but Tennessee and Oklahoma went to Vinick.

Still, Finn couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of hope. They were up, 99 electoral votes to 51.

The relief didn't last long. Vinick was leading in many of the states that hadn't been called yet, the states that would decide this race. The CNN anchors were saying that vote totals were lower than expected - something that surprised almost everyone, since the lines at the polling places had been so long.

When the 9 p.m. poll closings were announced, CNN led off by announcing victories for Vinick in Kansas, Wyoming and North Dakota. Luckily, good news came soon - Santos had taken back New York from Vinick in 2012, turning a red state blue. Finn noticed Rachel's relief when New York was called - he knew that because of her ties to New York, she'd wanted it so badly to go from red to blue.

"At least I don't have to disown New York," she whispered. "Maybe if we can't go to DC for the administration, we can move there."

"Yeah," Finn said. He had to admit, he was happy that she was planning a future for them together. Maybe he could propose...

But his thoughts were interrupted. CNN had some more calls: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Rhode Island for Santos. Their electoral vote lead had increased: they were up by over 100, 168 to 63.

Only 102 electoral votes were needed... they'd get California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii for sure... that was 78 electoral votes... they still needed 24 more...

Then the first tossups were called: Florida and North Carolina. And they were called for Vinick. The opponents now had 44 more electoral votes. No one expected anything else, but then Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas were called for Vinick as well. The 105 electoral vote lead had been reduced to 38. Then Utah, Montana and West Virginia were called for Vinick... Iowa was called for Santos, but it only had six electoral votes...

"I hate this," Rachel whispered to Finn.

"Me too," Finn said. "We're up, but..."

"But the swing states still haven't been called," Finn sighed. Two had though - and they'd both gone to Vinick. When Mississippi, South Dakota and Arizona were called for Vinick, the Santos campaign only had a 10 electoral vote lead.

"And with over 20% of the vote in, we're prepared to call Ohio's Senate race for Representative Burt Hummel," the news anchor said. "It was expected all along, but he wins with a commanding ten point victory of Republican Reggie Salazar..."

At least there was some good news tonight. Finn and Rachel let out some cheers and hugged as Burt appeared on the TV with Carole, Kurt and Blaine at the site of the watch party. Finn did feel a bit bad he couldn't be with his family tonight, but at the same time, he was happy that Burt had won.

"Thank you Ohio!" Burt said as he took the podium and the crowd cheered, Finn and Rachel joining in the cheers. "I've said this before and I will say it again, this is your campaign, not mine, and now, this is your victory. But I want to start by thanking the people who made this victory possible. I'd like to thank my wife Carole, who's always been supporting me and encouraging me. And up here with me, thank you to my son Kurt and my soon to be son-in-law Blaine, who I'm so proud of and who campaigned so long and so hard and so well for me. And of course, I also need to thank my other son Finn. He's not here tonight because of his obligations to the Santos/ Seaborn campaign, but he also worked hard to help me get elected, and later tonight, we'll be congratulating him for helping to elect the next president of the United States!"

Finn smiled as Rachel gave him a hug. They continued listening to Burt's speech before coverage went back to the presidential election. Nothing had changed. The electoral vote tally was still close.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Finn told Rachel. CNN kept saying the same thing over and over again. They were surprised that vote totals were so low. How were they low when there had been posts all over social media that people had to spend hours waiting in line to vote? What was happening?

The 11 p.m. polls closed. As predicted, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii went to the Santos column, Idaho and Nebraska went to the Vinick column.

The Santos campaign had 252 electoral votes now. Only 18 more were needed to win.

Had they done it?

The celebration was short lived as bad news seemed to be pouring in all at once. Missouri went to Vinick. Nevada went to Vinick. Colorado went to Vinick. New Mexico went to Vinick. Virginia went to Vinick. Indiana went to Vinick. It was all happening at once. Why? Why was this happening? Had all the hard work gone to waste?

Only two states were left now - Ohio and Texas. The race was close - everyone knew it would be close, but no one thought that it would all come down to TWO states. And of all states, it was the home state of the presidential candidate - and the state that Finn and Rachel grew up in. Finn didn't know why so many people were voting for Vinick. Maybe he would never know...

"We had a good run," Matt said, passing Finn and Rachel. "You two are special. Don't you ever forget that."

"Don't sound like you're giving up!" Rachel said, jumping up. "We have your home state to wait for. Even if we only win one of these states, we'll still win the whole thing..."

Finn felt very turned on right now. Finn could tell that Rachel was nervous, but at the same time, she wanted to make everyone else optimistic. He saw the fear in her eyes.

Finn looked at the clock. It was after 1 in the morning. He didn't expect to only have two states left at 1 in the morning with all the hype of a "late night"... but since turnout had been lower than expected...

 _Chapter 33 preview: Part 2 of Election Day! Who will win?_


	33. Chapter 33: Election Day (Part 2)

_Hey guys. Thank you so much for all the support. I appreciate it so much. Well, here it is - we'll find out who wins the election. As a note, some parts of the speech are borrowed from the actual show and from some of Obama's speeches during the 2008 campaign. I'll admit, I was pretty nervous waiting for these results, even though I knew what would happen! I can't believe the election is actually here and I've REALLY appreciated all the support. Anyway, hope you enjoy and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 33: Election Day (Part 2)

"We knew it was going to be close, but we didn't know it was going to be THIS close," Rachel said as she and Finn sat in the suite. "And it doesn't make sense... the lines were long, far longer than any election in recent memory. So why are the totals so low?"

"I don't know," Finn said.

Rachel put Finn's hands on her stomach. The babies were moving around more than usual. "They really want this, too."

"Yeah," Finn said. He looked at Rachel's stomach. "We did this for you guys, you know. We don't want you to grow up in a country like the one we've been living in for the past four years..."

"At least you know Ohio's in good hands," a familiar voice said. Finn looked up to see Kurt and Blaine standing there.

"Hey!" Finn said, giving his brother and future brother-in-law a hug. "What are you two doing here?"

"You know our dad and Matt Santos are close," Kurt said. "Dad wanted to be with you guys and with him tonight, so Cooper worked it out so a private jet could fly us down here after Dad's election night speech."

"Hey," Burt said as he and Carole came over to Finn and Rachel. "How are you two holding up?"

"It's been stressful," Finn admitted. "Only two states left..."

"He's winning the popular vote," Blaine pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's the electoral vote that counts," Rachel sighed. Finn could tell Rachel wanted to say something else, but Finn was the only one who knew the truth about the paternity. The votes had come in... but still.

"How's it feel to be a Senator?" Finn asked Burt, trying to lighten the mood.

"It feels great," Burt said.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Carole asked. "Let's be honest."

"Well, no," Finn admitted.

"The babies are nervous, too," Rachel sighed. "I can't believe they'll be here in a week."

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure where we'll be in a week," Finn said. "Tomorrow's going to be the first day in over a year that we won't have anything lined up."

"You two deserve that," Carole said. "You need some time to relax."

"It'll be nice to get to sleep on my stomach again," Rachel said.

"You'll be happy to know that in the end, all our friends from glee voted Santos," Blaine said. "Even Kitty."

"Good," Rachel said. "I hope the rest of the country did, too."

"How can you not vote for someone who looks like that?" Blaine asked.

"Blaine," Kurt groaned. "Can you not? This isn't a pageant anyway..."

"Hey, it's nice to have some levity," Finn admitted. He looked around the room. Most of the main campaign staff was there, as well as most of the extended Santos and Seaborn families, as well as friends of both candidates and officials from the DNC. At least if things didn't go well, there would be plenty of people to share the sorrows with.

x

At two in the morning, a call was made - Texas was called for Vinick. Santos had won Vinick's home state, but Vinick won Santos's. It was a big blow to the campaign that they couldn't get the candidate's home state.

Now, only Ohio was left.

In 2004, it had come down to Ohio as well. Finn and Rachel were only ten in 2004, but they were still mad at their state. If Ohio cost Santos the election, they'd be devastated because they'd been so involved and worked so hard. It was all down to the state that Finn and Rachel had grown up in and still were technically residents of.

The American people needed change. They needed hope. They needed help. They needed Matt Santos.

Texas being called for Vinick seemed to make everything seem so final. They had to win Ohio. If they didn't, it was all over. It was a good sign that Ohio now had more Democratic than Republican congress members, and that Burt had won the Senate race... wasn't it?

Rachel looked around the room. No one but her, Finn, Matt and Helen knew - her extended family was in this room. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were here, and they likely didn't know she was part of the family. Even though the last year was difficult, she did wonder - by now, would she have made peace with her dads and with Shelby? Would they have been sending her good wishes tonight? Seeing Finn's family with him tonight did make her a little jealous and she felt bad about that.

"Want to step out for a little?" Rachel asked Finn.

"Yeah," Finn said.

"There's just so many people in that room," Rachel said as she and Finn left.

"I know," Finn said. "It's good to have a little quiet."

"Do you think we'll win?" Rachel asked.

"I hope," Finn said. "But I don't know. Ohio went to Vinick in 2012... and they keep talking on TV about how vote tallies are lower than expected..."

"I really want this," Rachel said. What else was there to say? There was nothing left to do and she hated that. Why couldn't they have a little more time to campaign? Or would even a little more time still not feel like enough?

Finn and Rachel sat on the couch in the hall for a few minutes in silence before heading back into the suite. There was still no news on Ohio. She walked over to the couch where Matt and Helen were sitting, giving Brayden and Lily their bottles. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"Well, you know," Matt said.

"I told him, you all did an amazing thing," Helen said. "You should be proud, no matter what happens."

"I'll try," Rachel said.

"I do have a good feeling," Matt said. "We spent lots of time in Ohio, we had endorsements from big names there, we were there for them more after 9/11..."

"Yeah, but Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico... we fought hard for all of them, too, and look what happened," Finn said.

Rachel looked at her baby brother and sister. They were so innocent, had such a simple life, didn't have to worry about these things. Her children would enter the world like this as well. "Can I hold one of them?" Rachel managed to ask.

"Of course," Helen said, handing Brayden to Rachel.

"It shouldn't be much longer for you two," Matt pointed out.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "They've been kicking a lot today. They want you to win, too."

The other Santos kids came over. "I'm tired," Miranda complained.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "It's great to get to stay up this late!"

"Don't get used to it, you're not going to be allowed to stay up this late for another four years," Matt said.

"Confident, are we?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," Matt said. "But Miranda, if you're tired, you can go lie down next door where Grayson's sleeping..."

"No," Miranda interrupted. "I want to stay up and see you win."

Would these types of conversations be in Rachel and Finn's future with their kids? It was little things like this that Rachel hadn't had with her biological father...

"Even our babies want to stay up," Finn said. "They keep kicking, huh Rachel?"

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"Shouldn't they be out soon?" Peter said. "You're getting pretty big..."

"Peter!" Matt interrupted.

Rachel had to laugh. Even if he didn't know, that was a little brother type comment. "I hope so."

"Will we get to meet them?" Miranda asked.

"Of course," Rachel said. "Of course."

x

Time crawled by and Ohio still hadn't been called. Rachel was beginning to feel exhausted, but she didn't want to fall asleep. She didn't want to wake up to discover that Vinick had won Ohio and the election.

Time seemed to pass too slowly. Rachel leaned up against Finn, snuggling with him, trying to get some rest and stay awake at the same time. Her phone was blowing up with texts from her sister and her friends, telling her that they were thinking of her, that she'd done a great thing and not to forget that no matter what happened tonight...

It was three in the morning, and the CNN anchor had something to say. "We are now ready to call Ohio."

Rachel grabbed Finn's hand as CNN's music played. Why were they drawing it out? Why wouldn't they just tell them?

The usual music that CNN played right before a big announcement was played. Then, a photo of Matt Santos and a blue Ohio came on the screen, declaring, "BREAKING NEWS! SANTOS WINS OHIO. SANTOS WINS PRESIDENCY."

Rachel jumped up and screamed in joy. "As you can see, we have called Ohio for Congressman Matthew Santos. This changed the electoral map to 270 to 268. He defeats incumbent President Arnold Vinick and will be the 46th President of the United States. I doubt anyone thought when Matt Santos entered the race that he would be in this position today..."

No one could hear the TV. The room was full of cheering and hugging and happy tears.

They'd done it.

The campaign had come from nothing. When the campaign began, no one thought they had a chance in hell. When Rachel applied for the position on the Santos campaign over a year ago, she liked his positions, but knew he was a longshot to even get the Democratic nomination.

But here they were. Rachel had joined this campaign in hopes of getting her life back on track, but it was so much more than that. She'd been part of a winning presidential campaign.

"I can't believe we did it," Finn said, hugging Rachel close.

"Me either," Rachel said.

x

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

"It's the answer spoken by male and female, young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, cisgender, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America."

Finn sat with Rachel as they listened to the victory speech. Hearing the victory speech felt like a dream. They really had done it. Matt Santos was the president-elect. Finn couldn't even describe how happy he felt right now. And this had to be the best speech of the campaign so far. Sure, he talked about the same things he'd talk about in stump speeches, but now these weren't theories. These things were really going to happen.

"There are so many people I need to thank. I want to thank my partner in this journey, who fought so hard and spoke for the people across this nation, the vice president-elect, Sam Seaborn. I want to thank Josh Lyman, my campaign manager, for coming to my house and convincing me to run for president, and for building such an incredible campaign. And to all the staff, from Anna to Donna to Bram to Ronna to Otto to Finn to Rachel to every last volunteer... this is your victory."

Finn couldn't believe he and Rachel had warranted a mention. He liked to think that he'd done a good job - but he'd been mentioned. He was feeling so proud right now.

"I know what you all sacrificed for this campaign and how hard you worked and I promise I'll make you proud," Matt said. "And of course, I wouldn't be here tonight without the love of my life since I was 14, who supported me and believed in me and sacrificed so much for this campaign and who I love so much, the next First Lady, Helen Santos. And to Peter, Miranda, Brayden and Lily - I did this for you. I want the world you grow up in to be a better one. I hope you know how much I love you. And to the child I gave up over 20 years ago - I love you too and this is for you as well."

Finn felt Rachel squeeze his hand as the speech continued. He gave Rachel a kiss and put his arm around her, hoping that she could reveal her kinship soon.

Finn thought about tonight's events as the president was thanked for the past four years. It was unearned thanks as far as Finn was concerned, not just because of Vinick's treatment of everyone involved throughout the campaign - Vinick had not conceded the election. A member of his staff had called the Santos campaign to congratulate them on the victory and the vice president had delivered the concession speech. But now that he wasn't going to be president, Vinick's behavior wasn't worrisome anymore - it was just pathetic, and to some extent, entertaining.

"It would be easy for me to stand here and claim a sweeping mandate for the next four years. I can't do that. This was a razor-thin election. My intention is to be the president of everyone. Black or brown, yellow or white, Republican or Democrat. I've got a lot of reaching out to do. America has become more polarized. You can't run for president and not see that. Our votes may have been divided, but our country will not be divided, because ultimately it's not about left or right, it's about doing right. Together we are going to lift up those who have been left out. We are going to ensure that the promise of America is not the privilege of the few, but the birthright of all Americans. I am more grateful than I can say. You have given me an opportunity that comes to few people, perhaps fewer are worthy of it.

"America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we have pledged once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

"Thank you, good night, God Bless You and God Bless the United States of America."

The crowd broke into applause as a recording of Don't Stop Believing came over the room. The candidates - now the president-elect and vice president-elect and their families had a few minutes to be on that stage and take in that applause with the staff standing not too far behind. The applause was for them, too. At least Finn liked to think so.

And now Finn realized - he hadn't proposed earlier in the day because he was waiting for the right time. The universe knew that the right time was now. Tonight had ended up being perfect - but there was a way to make it even more perfect.

After the candidates left the stage, the staff had some more time to congratulate each other and celebrate - but once the room had cleared out, Finn had something he wanted to do.

"Rachel, can I borrow you a second?" Finn asked. The crowd had finally left, the music was fading, the confetti had fallen and the fireworks had stopped.

"Sure," Rachel said.

Finn took Rachel's hand and led her to the stage. The crowd was gone - and he wanted to do this in a special place. "Tonight was special, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I'm so happy."

"Yeah, me too," Finn said. "A year ago did you think we'd be in this position tonight?"

"No," Rachel admitted. "Did you?"

"No," Finn said. "I didn't think I'd be this happy at this time now before I joined the campaign. If I hadn't joined the campaign, I'd probably still be going through the motions at community college and at my dad's shop... and I'd still be single."

"I doubt I could love any job as much as I loved this one, despite the stress," Rachel said. "And even if I was with someone else... I doubt anyone could make me happy as you do."

That was definitely a good sign. "I can't imagine life with anyone else but you," Finn said.

"I know we broke up before, but this time, I think it's forever," Rachel said.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Me too."

"In this past year, I think we've grown stronger than we ever were before," Rachel said. "I think it was the universe's way of telling us we were meant to be together when we were both hired for the campaign."

"Yeah, so do I," Finn said. Rachel herself was being helpful. "You know, whenever I'm with you everything just feels so... right. It feels like nothing's wrong in my world and I feel safe and secure and happy and loved. I want you to wake up every morning for the rest of your life and know how loved you are."

"I already do feel loved just waking up in your arms is the best gift of all," Rachel said.

"Well, I want you to do that forever," Finn said. "I want to spend the rest of our lives making you happy, making you laugh, making you smile..." He knelt in front of her, pulling out a box and opening it. "Rachel, will you marry me?"

Rachel smiled wide. "Oh my gosh! Yes! Yes!"

Finn slipped the ring on Rachel's finger and pulled her close, kissing her passionately. This really had been the best day ever.

x

Rachel didn't think it was possible to be as happy as she was right now.

Today had been an emotional roller coaster. There had been all the stress as they waited for the results to come in. When swing states started going to Vinick, she thought that they were going to lose. But against all odds, they'd won. In January, Matt Santos would be the president.

But things had just gotten even better. For a while now, she'd been thinking that she and Finn could get engaged again, but she had no idea that he actually had a ring and was planning to propose to her again.

She looked down at the ring on her finger. "I love the ring, Finn."

"Thank you," Finn said. "You only deserve the best."

"I have the best," Rachel said as she leaned in to kiss him. Then, she felt a gush of water rolling down her legs. "Oh my God."

"What?" Finn asked.

Rachel gulped, knowing only what this meant. "My water just broke."

 _Chapter 34 preview: Finchel's babies arrive and Rachel reveals that she is The Santos Baby._


	34. Chapter 34: Family

_Hey everyone! So sorry it took so long to post a new chapter. Like TV shows go on hiatus, I needed a little hiatus of my own because of school, work and personal issues. Luckily, now that I'm done with exams, I'll have A LOT more time to write! Again, I'm so sorry, and I promise no more hiatuses any time soon! In fact, I'm already at work at Chapter 35! :) I REALLY feel bad, but I hope you understand. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, and I hope you are, too! Enjoy and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 34: Family

"My water just broke."

Those words hit Finn like a ton of bricks. He knew that the babies would be here soon. But he didn't expect his girlfriend - his fiancee - to go into labor right here, right now.

"What?" Finn managed to say.

"The babies have been kicking so much," Rachel said. "But I didn't think it was actually going to happen..."

This was it. Finn was going to be a dad. He'd thought he was ready - but now he was panicking. What if he wasn't ready to be a dad? What if the babies hated him? What if he screwed up?

"I really hoped it wouldn't happen tonight," Rachel said. "Not with everything..."

"Hey, when they want to get here, they want to get here," Finn said, grabbing his phone. He'd planned to take a picture of Rachel's finger to post online after she said yes, but instead he had to use his phone to text his mom, telling her to get to where they were right away. "Sit down," Finn said, not knowing what to say to Rachel. "But not in the puddle. I'll have my mom call an ambulance."

"Okay," Rachel said, holding her stomach. "I can't believe they're actually going to be here..."

"Me either," Finn said. "Let me go get my mom..."

"Don't leave me," Rachel said, grabbing Finn's hand.

Finn looked at Rachel. She had fear and pain in her eyes. "Okay, I'll text my mom." He got out his phone and texted his mom. Soon enough, Carole was there. "Mom, Rachel's water broke. We need to get her to a hospital."

"My grandbabies are going to be here!" Carole exclaimed.

"Yeah, they are," Finn said with a smile.

"I just need to get to the hospital..." Rachel whimpered.

"Of course," Carole said, getting out her phone. "Finn, why don't you get Rachel to the suite so she can sit down and be comfortable..."

"Yeah," Finn said. He picked up Rachel and carried her to the candidate suite. He knew everyone was still celebrating in the main suite, so they could have some quiet in here. "Just breathe," Finn said to Rachel.

"I don't want to die," Rachel said. "Not when we've just won the election and gotten engaged and our babies are about to get here..."

Finn had to laugh. "Baby, you're not going to die."

Rachel grabbed Finn's hand. "Contractions?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "They hurt."

"Look, when you feel pain, just squeeze my hand, okay?" Finn said, kissing Rachel.

A few minutes later, Carole came in with some EMTs. "Good," Rachel said. "I just need to get to the hospital."

Finn looked at his mom. "Thanks Mom. Could you and Burt and Kurt and Blaine maybe meet us there?"

"Of course," Carole said.

"Let's just go," Rachel said, grabbing Finn's hand.

Finn didn't take his eyes off Rachel as she was helped on to the stretcher and they got into the ambulance. This was it. His babies were about to be here.

x

The doctors told Rachel when they arrived at the hospital that she was over half dilated. That was a relief... as painful as this was, she didn't want to spend too much longer waiting. Luckily, the nurses had put her on an epidural and gotten her some ice chips to suck on. And of course Finn was with her.

"You didn't know that you were in labor?" the nurse asked.

"I thought it was just stress with the election being today," Rachel admitted.

"You two did have a pretty exciting day," the nurse said.

"Yeah, we're so happy," Rachel said. She took Finn's hand.

"Is your family here?" the nurse asked Finn.

"Yeah, my mom, my stepdad, my brother and my brother's fiance are in the waiting room," Finn said.

Rachel felt a bit sad when Finn was asked that question. The men who'd raised her and the woman who'd given birth to her weren't going to meet the babies. "I want my dad," Rachel whispered to Finn.

"Do you want me to call him?" Finn whispered.

Rachel couldn't do that. "He's got a lot going on... I'm sure he's got a press conference or something..." Though now that he'd been elected, maybe she could tell him. The public was pretty much over the fact that he'd had a child out of wedlock in college... "Ow!"

"Another contraction?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"Well, you're fully dilated," the nurse said. "At your next contraction, you can start pushing."

She could start pushing? Rachel immediately felt herself panicking. "They're going to be here," Finn said.

"Yeah, they are," Rachel said.

A little later, Rachel felt another contraction. "Okay," she said. She took a breath and pushed.

"You're doing a good job," the doctor said. "I can see a head."

Finn looked down. "Oh my God, Rach, so do I!"

Rachel smiled at Finn. "I just want them out."

"Okay, give us another push," the doctor said.

Rachel pushed. "This hurts."

"You're doing great," the doctor encouraged.

Rachel felt herself starting to cry as she made a few more pushes. It hurt, but she told herself it would be worth it in the end. And then a noise interrupted her thoughts.

"WAHHHH!"

Rachel looked in the nurse's hands. It was her son. "Oh my God," Rachel gasped. "He's here." She felt tears coming to her eyes as she took Finn's hand and looked at him, then again at her son. "Oh my God..."

"He's perfect," Finn said.

"He looks so much like you," Rachel said.

"He does," Finn said. "Oh my God, Rachel, our little boy's here!"

"Yeah," Rachel said.

"Don't forget, he needs his sister," the nurse said. "We'll go get him cleaned off while you get his sister out."

"You've done it once," Finn said to Rachel. "You can do it again."

Rachel was tired of the pain, but after seeing her son, she was even more excited for her daughter to be here, too. After some more pushing (and crying) she heard some more crying that didn't belong to her or Finn or their son. She looked over and saw the nurse holding her daughter.

"Wow, she's here," Rachel said.

"And she looks like you," Finn said.

"I can't believe it," Rachel said. "We've got our kids."

A few moments later, the nurse came over with the babies. "Congratulations to the parents."

Rachel smiled as the babies were placed in her arms. "Hi little guys. I'm your mommy. And this is your daddy. We love you both so, so much..."

The babies opened their eyes and looked at both Finn and Rachel. "They're saying hi," Finn said. "And look, he has your eyes, and she has mine..."

"Yeah, so they both have something from each of us," Rachel giggled. "They're so perfect."

"They are," Finn said. "The girls are all going to be chasing after him, and she's going to be a big heartbreaker when I scare all those guys away..."

"You're already planning their future," Rachel laughed. "They're so so perfect..."

"They are," Finn said. "And they're ours."

x

Finn and Rachel had gotten some time with their babies alone, but Finn knew that his family had been waiting for a while to meet the babies. He'd texted his mom to come in, and within minutes, his family was coming in.

"Oh my God, Finn, they are so cute!" Kurt said, looking at the babies. "Can I hold them?"

"Of course," Finn said.

"They're so cute," Blaine repeated, looking at the babies.

"They are perfect," Finn said. "And they're really ours."

"What did you decide to name them?" Burt asked.

"This is Ryan Nicholas Hudson, and this is Emma Grace Hudson," Rachel said proudly.

"He looks just like Finn did when he was a baby," Carole said, picking up Ryan.

"We are going to spoil the heck out of them," Kurt said, picking up Emma. "I'm going to take you shopping..." He then looked at Rachel's finger. "Oh my God! Finn, Rachel... she has something on her finger!"

Finn smiled. "Yeah, she does."

"You did it?" Carole asked her son.

"Right before her water broke," Finn said proudly. "They wanted to join in the celebrations."

"Since they came before we had a chance to talk about when to get married, we don't have details thought out just yet," Rachel said. "But we couldn't be happier."

"We can't be happier for you," Burt said.

"Isn't the ring I helped pick out amazing?" Kurt asked.

"It is!" Carole said.

"I am kind of hoping we can wait until they're a little older, so they can be part of it in some way," Finn said.

"Well, we do want them as an honorary ring bearer and flower girl in our wedding this summer," Blaine said.

"Of course," Finn said. "And of course, since the president-elect said he'll have jobs for us in the administration, we won't be too far from New York, so you'll get to see them a lot." He smiled. "President-elect. I love saying that!"

"We're so proud of you two," Carole said. "You did an amazing thing. And they'll be proud when they hear their mommy and daddy were part of this."

"I'm just so glad that this is going to be the reality they grow up in," Rachel said. "I was thinking of them a lot as I was campaigning."

"Yeah, me too," Finn added.

"They'll have a great country to grow up in, thanks to you two," Burt said.

"What jobs are you two going to have?" Blaine asked.

"We'll talk about it with the president-elect soon," Finn said, glad to be saying it again.

x

Carole, Burt, Kurt and Blaine had spent some time visiting with Finn, Rachel, Ryan and Emma before going back to their hotel to rest. Since Finn's family had gone back to the hotel, Finn and Rachel had napped for a little. When Rachel woke up from her nap, she found a text from Matt on her phone, saying he'd finished his press conference and wanted to come see her at the hospital. Rachel figured that was a good idea - now might be a good time to reveal what she knew...

The room had been filled with flowers, balloons and stuffed animals from relatives, their friends from the campaign and their friends from glee. Rachel had told Finn she wanted to talk with her biological father alone, so Finn ran down to the food court to get a drink when they found out he had gotten to the hospital. Rachel was nervous, but she knew that now that she had kids of her own, she wanted to have her father with her - as her father. She took a deep breath as he walked in.

"Hey, Mr. President-Elect," Rachel said, trying to lighten her mood. She knew this was going to be emotional. She didn't know what he would say or do. She'd wanted to tell him weeks ago, but she didn't want to until after the election.

"I still expect you to call me Matt," Matt said. "We all became a family on this campaign and I want us to stay that way."

A family. Rachel teared up at those words, looking at her babies. "Yeah, a family."

"Your babies are beautiful," Matt pointed out. "They look so much like you and Finn."

Rachel smiled. "Yeah, they're even more perfect than I imagined."

"Where's Finn?" Matt asked. "Helen and the kids and I got some gifts for you guys and the babies, but I'd like to give them to you two together..."

"I actually wanted to talk with you for a little," Rachel admitted. She gulped. She had to let it out eventually. "I'm your daughter." She couldn't make eye contact after saying that. She just stared at her own babies in her arms, so relieved that they would never be in this position, a position she'd now been in twice. "I'm sorry... I've known for weeks, ever since I found the letter you wrote me when I had things from my Shelby's sent over... I didn't want to say anything until after the election because I didn't want to hurt the campaign..." She felt tears coming back. "I'm really sorry... this probably comes as a shock to you... I just couldn't keep this from you any longer... I know that we don't have what you have with Peter and Miranda and Brayden and Lily... or what I'll have with these two... but..." She didn't know what else to say. She was really crying now. She laid the babies in their cribs, not sure if she could hold them when her eyes were fogged with tears.

"Hey," Matt said softly. "I knew, too. When you said Shelby was your birth mother, I knew you were my baby from all those years ago. It worked with the timeline, and I can see resemblance with you and her, you and your siblings... I just didn't want to say anything because you'd just lost the people who raised you and I didn't want you to think I was butting in and trying to replace them."

"I wouldn't have said anything because like I said, I didn't want to hurt the campaign," Rachel said.

"My family comes first," Matt said. "And you're part of my family. I said several times on the campaign, I wanted to have all my kids with me on election night... and I did."

Rachel didn't know what to say or do. She'd spent the last year wondering who her real father was. It turned out he'd been with her this whole time. She wanted to hug him, but she wasn't sure if she should. "I was worried you wouldn't want anything to do with me, knowing I nearly ruined the campaign by existing..."

"You're my daughter," Matt said. "I've missed a lot, but that doesn't change that you're my daughter. It's up to you how and if you want me in your life, but whatever you want is fine with me."

"I really want us to have a father-daughter relationship, if that's okay with you," Rachel admitted. "I know we weren't in each other's lives for 22 years, but I still need parents. And I'm so glad that it's you. I do hope one day you can love me as your daughter..."

"I've loved you your whole life," Matt said, also tearing up. Rachel couldn't hold it in anymore as she moved closer to him and hugged him tightly. "I thought about you every single day for the past 23 years, and now here you are. I hoped that wherever my baby was, he or she was strong and happy and successful and happy, but you're so much more than that. I am so lucky to have an amazing woman like you as my daughter."

"Thank you," Rachel said, taking a tissue. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to..."

"You're my family, I'm not turning my back on you," Matt said. "They can't un-elect me."

"What about the kids?" Rachel asked. Her little brothers and sisters. "I don't want to upset them, or ruin things for them... I can see why they would resent me..."

"Are you kidding?" Matt asked. "Miranda worships the ground you walk on. Peter loves you, too. And the babies won't remember a time before you were in their lives. We're a family, Rachel. You're part of the family... so are Finn and these little guys."

"What's going to happen when the general public finds out I'm your daughter?" Rachel asked.

"You let me deal with that," Matt said.

"Want to hold them?" Rachel asked, feeling a wave of relief sweeping over her.

"I'd love to," Matt said as Rachel handed them over.

"I didn't think it was possible to love people this much, other than Finn of course," Rachel admitted as the door opened. "Speaking of Finn..."

"I sent the photos to all our friends from glee and the campaign," Finn said. "Everyone wants to come over and see them."

"Well, I think we need some rest first," Rachel said. "Plus, our families should meet them first..."

Finn seemed to understand what this meant. "Are you saying..."

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling.

"Thank you for helping to create the most amazing fiance I could ask for," Finn said, grinning.

"And I look forward to having you as my son-in-law," Matt told Finn. "You and Rachel made some beautiful babies yourselves."

"Yeah, we did," Finn said, putting his arm around Rachel as she thought about the events of the past 24 hours. They'd won the election, she was engaged, she was the mother to the two most perfect babies in the world, and she finally knew she wasn't rejected by her dad. All was well in the world.

x

Finn was glad to hear things had gone well when Rachel told Matt she knew that he was her father. He had a feeling that things would go well, knowing Rachel and Matt both well, but he was sure this was a relief for Rachel. Now Rachel wouldn't have to worry about being in the world without parents.

Finn and Rachel had done some more resting before Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine came back to the hospital. Matt had also told Finn and Rachel before he left that he'd come back later with Helen and the kids so they could meet the babies and so the kids could talk with Rachel.

Even though they hadn't slept much in the past few days, Finn and Rachel weren't that tired. Sleeping would take them away from their babies and they didn't want to be away from them. All they wanted to do was hold these babies and look at them. It was hard to believe that these perfect human beings were really theirs. Neither Finn nor Rachel knew that they were capable of loving anyone besides each other this much. They knew they would spend the rest of their lives trying to give Ryan and Emma the best lives they possibly could and do whatever they could to be worthy of them.

"I can't imagine things being any more perfect than they are now," Finn said.

"I know," Rachel said. "We finally have children together. I've been dreaming of this for years."

"Me too," Finn said, kissing Rachel. He heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, knowing his family was on their way back over.

Carole, Burt, Kurt and Blaine came in. "We actually have a surprise for the four of you," Burt said.

"But you gave us our gifts earlier," Finn said, confused.

Then Kylie and Beth walked in. "Oh my God!" Rachel said, smiling at the sight of her sisters.

"We got them a flight down to Houston after your water broke," Carole said to Rachel.

"I'm so glad you're here," Rachel said, giving her sisters hugs.

"They're so cute!" Beth said, looking at the babies.

"They are, aren't they?" Finn asked.

"They're so adorable," Kylie said. "Can I hold them?"

"Of course," Finn said. "And notice what's on Rachel's finger."

Kylie looked at Rachel's finger. "Oh my God! Rachel, I'm so excited for you!"

"Thanks," Rachel said. "You'll be one of my bridesmaids, you know that, right?"

"Yay!" Kylie said.

"Can I be in it, too?" Beth asked.

"Of course," Rachel said. "You're going to be a flower girl!"

"Yay!" Beth said.

"How's it feel?" Kylie asked.

"It's amazing," Finn said. "Between the babies being born, us being engaged, and winning... things couldn't be better."

"I never knew it was possible to be this happy," Finn said.

"You two deserve to be this happy," Burt said. "You both went through a lot to get to this point over the past few years."

"Yeah," Finn said. He never imagined this was where he'd be a few years ago. Before he'd joined the campaign, his life had been at such a low. And now, he felt on top of the world. He knew things wouldn't always be this amazing, but no one could take the moments of the past few days away from him.

x

It had been a great surprise for Rachel to get to see Kylie and Beth, but soon, her other siblings would be arriving. Again, she was starting to feel nervous, but it had gone well when she'd told Matt that she was his daughter, so maybe this would go well too. She knew that Matt had told Helen about their talk earlier.

The door opened and the Santos family came in. "You had the babies!" Peter exclaimed. "Have they had any dirty diapers to change yet?"

"Yeah, they have," Finn said.

"They're so cute," Miranda said, looking at the babies."

"They are," Finn said. "Would you two like to hold them?"

"Yeah," Peter said, picking up Ryan.

"You two be careful," Helen said.

Rachel looked at Finn, then at Matt, then at Helen. "Peter, Miranda, there's actually something we wanted to talk to you guys about."

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"You remember how when I was in college, I had a baby with a girl I was dating then," Matt began.

"Yeah, our big brother or sister," Miranda said.

Rachel gulped. "It's me. I'm your big sister."

"Yay!" Miranda squealed, handing Emma to Helen and then running to hug Rachel.

Well, that had gone better than Rachel expected.

"You're our big sister?" Peter asked. "That's awesome."

"I didn't want to know it was Rachel until her birth mom and her adoptive parents died, and I didn't want to tell her then because it might feel like I was trying to replace her parents," Matt said.

"Yeah, and I didn't want to say anything after I got the note from him because I didn't want to hurt the campaign," Rachel said. "Do you guys have anything you want to ask us?"

"This means we'll still get to see you and Finn and the babies, right?" Peter asked.

Rachel had to smile. "Of course you will." She'd been worried the kids would be mad at her or their parents, but it didn't seem like it. Maybe that was part of being young.

"Can we give Rachel and Finn and the babies our present now?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, of course you can," Helen said.

Miranda handed Rachel a gift wrapped box. "This is from us."

"Let's open it," Finn said.

Finn and Rachel opened the box to see a photo of a double stroller as well as some baby toys. "That's the stroller we picked out!" Peter said.

"Thank you guys so much," Rachel said. "And I want my brother and sister to know - Finn and I are getting married!"

"Can I be the flower girl?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, of course," Finn said. "And Peter, we were hoping you could be the ring bearer."

"Yeah, that'll be fun," Peter said.

Rachel smiled over at Finn, still overwhelmed and overjoyed by all the recent events. She knew that things couldn't always work out as well as they could in the past 24 hours. But right now, it was a great time to be Rachel Berry - soon to be Rachel Hudson.

 _Chapter 35 preview: Finn and Rachel get acquainted with being parents. And why did voter turnout appear so low? Was someone up to something?_


	35. Chapter 35: 100 Thousand Votes

Hey _guys. Thanks so much for all the support on the last chapter. I appreciated it so much, especially since I was gone for a while. I'm so sad that I'm almost done with this story - all that's left is the inaugural and a few flash forwards. I'm going to miss this so much. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and review if I should keep going!_

Chapter 35: 100 Thousand Votes

Finn opened his eyes and looked at the clock. It was after two in the morning. He knew he should be thankful to be asleep right now, especially since both babies were up a few hours ago, but he couldn't get enough of them. He looked at Rachel, who was asleep next to him, deciding to let her sleep. He then walked across the room to the babies' cribs and stared at them, still in awe that they were really his. He wanted to hold them, but he knew that they'd probably wake up and start crying if he picked them up, and he wanted Rachel to sleep.

Finn, Rachel and the babies had been discharged yesterday. So they didn't have to travel with the babies just quite yet, Matt had offered to let Finn, Rachel and the babies stay in their guest room. Burt, Carole, Kurt, Blaine, Kylie and Beth had decided to stay in Texas for a little while to help out and spend time with the babies. Transition was already underway and soon the president-elect would be going to DC. Finn and Rachel would be there and doing some work from Burt and Carole's DC apartment after a few weeks, but until then, Matt had assured them that they'd be covered.

Emma opened her eyes. Finn worried that she would start crying and wake Rachel up, but she didn't. She was just looking at Finn. Finn had to smile. He picked up his daughter - his daughter! - and smiled down at her in his arms, in awe of how beautiful she was. "Hi," Finn whispered. "It's Daddy. Did you sleep well? I hope you did... your brother seems to be getting a good sleep..." Emma took Finn's finger and Finn smiled down at her. Her hands were so tiny. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Rachel standing over him.

"Baby, you should be sleeping," Finn told Rachel.

"Well, I miss you and these guys too much when I'm asleep," Rachel said, sitting next to Finn. "Looks like someone wanted some time with Daddy."

"Yeah," Finn said. "I can't wait to scare all the boys away."

"They'll be all over her," Rachel said before they heard small cries from the crib. Rachel walked over and picked up Ryan. "Are you having trouble sleeping? It's okay. Mommy's here." She went and joined Finn on the couch. "Let's go sit with Daddy and your sister, shall we?"

"Hey you," Finn said, looking over at his son.

Ryan looked over at Finn and then over at Emma. "Aw, they already have a bond," Rachel said. "Maybe that's what happens from sharing a womb for nine months."

"Yeah," Finn said. "They're so perfect."

"They really are," Rachel agreed.

x

Finn opened his eyes and looked at the clock again. It was after ten in the morning and now. They were at their boss's house and had slept too late days after the election. Finn looked at the babies, who were asleep in their cribs, put the baby monitor on his belt, and then nudged Rachel. "Rachel... we should probably get up now."

Rachel looked over at the clock. "Oh my gosh. We overslept."

"I know," Finn said. "I'm surprised they let us sleep in..."

"Me too," Rachel said. "How about I wake up and feed these guys, and then I'll join you to do some work?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Finn said. He went into the living room, where the president-elect and vice-president elect were with some of the staff. "Sorry, Rachel and I overslept..."

"Finn, look at this," Josh said, pointing to the TV, which was currently on CNN. "And for those of you who weren't with us before the commercial break, the recent presidential election has taken yet another surprising turn. It appears as though President-Elect Santos's 50.5% popular vote win was more than that, and he may have had considerably more than the required 270 electoral votes. This morning Senate President Pro Temp Glen Allen Walken and Speaker of the House Matthew Skinner issued a joint statement in which they confessed to cooperating with a plan the president put forward that he hoped would insure a re-election, though the even by going through with the plan, the president was not re-elected. The statement has sent the country into shock once again, and since it was issued, many Congressmen and Senators have admitted to going along with the plan and apologizing for it..."

"What?" Finn asked. Since they'd won, he'd almost forgotten about all the talk of low voter numbers... could this have something to do with it?

"Apparently, the president got several of his pets in Congress to get moles into the boards of elections in their states, having 100,000 votes for us thrown out in each of the swing states," Seaborn said.

Finn felt like he was going to throw up. They'd won, but it had been by even more than what they thought it had been. He should be happy that they had still won, but if Ohio had gone differently, if a few thousand people had stayed home and the Republican leadership wasn't confessing, Vinick could have gotten a second term he didn't earn. "Wow," Finn managed to say. "What's making them finally come forward?"

"Guilt, apparently," Donna said. "That's what they said. Stuff like this always gets uncovered..."

Finn looked at the TV. Apparently after the leadership issued the statement, numerous members of congress and governors were confessing that they were involved. "It was wrong of me to agree to this," the Ohio governor, Jonathan Casey, was saying on the TV right now. "While I obviously wanted the Republican party to win, lying and cheating is not winning. I can't apologize enough for what I did. I broke my oath of office, I deceived the people of Ohio and I committed fraud. There are no excuses for my actions and I can't apologize enough to the people of Ohio who believed in me, to the citizens of the country who could have ended up with a president they hadn't chosen, to my family and friends who loved and trusted me, and to President-elect Santos who could have been denied a position he earned. Again, I am so sorry, and ever since I agreed to this, I've been praying to God for forgiveness."

"What the hell is going on?" Finn turned around to see Rachel come in with the babies in their double stroller.

"The voter turnout wasn't really low," Finn said. "Vinick got lots of his big name supporters throughout the country to plant moles in board of elections to have 100 thousand Santos votes in each state thrown out."

"No way," Rachel gasped. She looked at the TV, where Senator Marc Rubinstein was now speaking. "I told the people of Florida when I ran for the Senate that I would never lie to them and I am ashamed to say that I broke that promise. I didn't think this was a good idea, but I knew the election would be close, and if I did this, it could mean that we could have President Vinick for another four years instead of a Democrat. God was telling me not to do this, but I did it anyway. This morning, when I learned about the statements the Republican leadership issued, I had to come forward and be honest. I do not blame the people of Florida and of this country if they do not trust me anymore, but I hope they can get to that point again..."

"Do you want Finn and me to write a post for the blog about this?" Rachel asked.

"We're working on something," Matt said. "I'm going to release a statement..."

"But Rachel and I haven't done much of anything since the babies were born," Finn said. "We need to still be productive..."

"You two don't need to be productive," Matt said. "You just had babies... you just had my grandchildren. I took two months of parental leave after both kids were born. I want you two to take parental leave until the inaugural."

"The inaugural?" Rachel asked, picking up Ryan and starting to let him nurse.

"Yeah," Matt said. "I know this is a different job than most, but I've come to know you two well and you need this time with the babies."

"Yeah," Finn said. He had to admit that a break would be nice and that it would be good to fully commit to the babies.

"Thank you," Rachel said. "I hope you know I still want a job in the administration. I want to give these two a good life."

"Yeah, me too," Finn said.

"We'll definitely work out jobs for you two in the administration," Matt said. "We'll set up a time to talk soon about jobs."

"Thank you so much," Rachel said. "With the news, I'm glad we still got it..."

Finn nodded and turned back to the TV, where Senator Theodore Crusman was speaking. "I am so very sorry. I don't think that there's a right way to apologize to the people of Texas for the way I have disappointed them. The person who agreed to do that and then went through with it wasn't the real me, not what I'm made of and not what I believe in. I was afraid and got involved with something I did not think I should do. I didn't realize the gravity of what I was doing and how many people I was lying to..."

"So all these politicians are apologizing, but what does Vinick have to say about all this?" Rachel asked.

"He hasn't said anything," Ronna said. "The White House press office isn't taking calls."

"He never should have been president," Finn said. Before Finn joined the campaign, he merely thought Vinick was a bad president simply because he disagreed with Vinick on many issues. He didn't know what this sociopath was capable of and just how heartless, cruel, vindictive, manipulative and dishonest he was. And he was so glad his children wouldn't be growing up in a world with Vinick as president.

x

Finding out that Vinick had cheated in the election was shocking, as was finding out that not only had he cheated, but numerous senators, representatives and governors had gone along with it, including the governor of Ohio. Rachel hadn't voted for him in 2010 or 2014, but it was still shocking that he'd done this. She had to wonder - would her dads have voted Santos if they were alive? Had her vote been thrown out? The thrown out votes were being added in, the popular vote margin of victory was growing, and some more states had been added to their column - Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia. But instead of talking about the Santos victory, the media was focusing on what Vinick had done. If he hadn't been defeated anyway, he would likely be impeached for this. Of the ten politicians who'd so far confessed to helping with the rigging, three had already announced they were resigning, and impeachment was likely for the others.

"You two are going to be hearing a lot about the campaign you were conceived on," Rachel said as she cradled Emma, while Finn cradled Ryan next to her.

"Yes you are," Finn said. "Things were always unpredictable, weren't they, Rach?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "It's still hard to believe he really tried to rig it..."

"It didn't work though," Finn said as he kissed Rachel. "So, we should start looking at apartments in DC soon."

"Yeah, we should," Rachel said. "Maybe two bedrooms. I'd say they're little enough to share for now."

"Definitely," Finn said. "When they're older, it'll obviously need to be a boys bedroom and a girls room."

Rachel couldn't help but notice Finn's word choices. "You think we'll have more?"

"Yeah, I'd like to," Finn said. "In a few years, when these guys are older, maybe once we finish our degrees... if you want, at least."

"Oh, of course I do," Rachel said, smiling. "But I just want it to be the four of us right now." She smiled down at her children.

"Of course," Finn said. "He looks so much like my baby pictures."

"He does, and I bet he'll be a really good athlete and a really good drummer, just like his daddy," Rachel said. "And I can see them both being in glee club when they're in high school..."

"Well, whatever they do, I'm sure they'll be awesome at it," Finn said.

The door opened, and Rachel looked to see her little siblings coming in. "Hi Rachel," Miranda said.

"Hey guys," Rachel said.

"Mommy and Daddy were showing us pictures of the White House," Peter said. "It looks really cool. Did you know it has its own movie theatre, bowling alley and swimming pool?"

"That's so awesome," Finn said. "Rachel and I went bowling on one of our first dates."

"Yeah, we did," Rachel said, smiling at the memory. "We'll definitely come and do some of those things with you there."

"Yeah, and I bet Ryan and Emma will like playing with Brayden and Lily," Finn added.

"When the four of them are big enough to do things besides eat and sleep," Peter said.

"Hey, they're babies," Finn said. "But before you know it, Ryan and Brayden are going to be playing on the xbox and going to games with you and me, and my brother's going to want to take Emma and Lily shopping."

"It's crazy," Rachel added. "You guys have a niece and nephew now." She'd expected, at best, a lot of awkward questions or, at worst, anger and resentment when her siblings found out she was their sister. She didn't expect them to be so happy. Maybe it was part of being young.

"Hey, look who's up from their nap!" Finn said. Rachel turned and saw Matt and Helen bringing Brayden and Lily in. "These two definitely seem to enjoy being an aunt and uncle," Finn said.

"That's great," Helen said. "We thought Brayden and Lily might like to be with their big brother and sisters, and their soon-to-be brother-in-law and niece and nephew."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We were talking about all the fun we'll have in the White House."

x

"You're a really great dad, Finn," Carole said, looking on as Finn cradled Ryan, trying to get him to fall asleep. Emma had already fallen asleep.

"Thanks Mom," Finn said. "I just love my kids so much."

"This is bringing back memories to when I first brought you home," Carole said. "And now you have a little boy and a little girl of your own."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Rachel and I are on leave until the inaugural, which is nice. More time to be with these guys. We're going to look for an apartment in DC, hopefully in the same building as the apartment you and Burt have there."

"We'd love that," Carole said. "And you know you can stay in the other bedroom there until you two find a place."

"Thanks Mom," Finn said. "If I can be half as good a parent to these guys as you were to me, I don't think they have much to worry about."

Carole gave Finn a hug. "I can already tell you're going to be a great dad."

Kurt came into the room. "They're asleep?"

"Yeah," Finn said.

Kurt looked at the babies in their cribs. "They're so precious, Finn."

"Yeah, I think they're pretty awesome," Finn said.

"This is what broken bed night led to, huh?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "A pretty good outcome, I think, even if Rachel and I aren't getting as much sleep. Of course, we're used to not having much sleep on the campaign trail. Can you believe you're in the president-elect's house?"

"It's crazy," Kurt said. "I'm glad he's still president-elect after what happened... Dad said that he knows the governor of Ohio and even though he disagrees with him on lots of things, he thought he was his friend and that he could be trusted..."

"This whole campaign has been unbelievable," Finn said. "I hope in four years it's a bit calmer."

"You're already planning the re-election campaign?" Kurt asked.

"You should give yourself a break, Finn," Carole said.

Finn looked down at Ryan in his arms. "He seems to be asleep now." He gave his son a kiss and lay him in his crib, then kissed his daughter before following his mom and Kurt to the living room. He snuck up behind Rachel, who was playing dolls with Kylie, Miranda and Beth. "Hey you."

"Hey," Rachel said. "Are they asleep?"

"Yup," Finn said.

"I would have helped," Rachel said.

"I wanted you to play with your sisters," Finn said, putting his arm around Rachel.

"Did they get to sleep okay?" Rachel asked.

"Of course," Finn said.

"She's already worrying about them, just like a mom," Kurt teased.

"I am a mom now," Rachel said. "As crazy as it is to think about it."

"And I'm a dad," Finn said. He turned to his mom, Burt, Matt and Helen, who were sitting on the couch talking. "And you're all grandparents."

"Finn, please don't make me feel old," Burt said.

"You're not old," Finn said.

"Not going to lie, I kind of hoped that we'd have the first grandkids," Blaine said to Kurt from over where he was playing xbox with Peter.

"No such luck," Rachel said.

"We beat you, and for the record, Peter, I always beat him when I play him on xbox," Finn teased Blaine. "And all the other glee guys, too."

"Speaking of the other gleeks, everyone's wondering when they can meet the babies," Kurt said.

"I'd love them to," Rachel said. "I don't know when though... I don't want to do much traveling, and then we'll have the holidays, and then the inaugural..."

"I know," Finn agreed. "I do miss everyone..." He had wished everyone could meet the babies and be with them on election night. When he called them to tell them to get out and vote, he felt a twinge of guilt for going for so long without talking to them.

"The doctors don't want us to fly with them for a while," Rachel admitted. "That's why I'm glad everyone came down here."

"The airplane ride was long though," Beth said.

"It was?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, she kept asking me when we could get off the plane," Kylie said.

"Don't worry," Rachel said. "DC's only about three hours from New York, so once we're there, we'll get to see you all the time."

"Good!" Beth said.

x

"I still can't believe that Vinick tried to steal the election," Blaine said. The parents were having coffee in the kitchen and the younger kids had gone to bed. All the babies had been put down for naps, leaving Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Blaine and Kylie in the living room.

"Despite everything I've seen from him, I'm still shocked," Finn said.

"Well, we ended up winning anyway," Rachel said. "Maybe that's why the politicians who helped came forward. They still couldn't win."

"It's good knowing we got an even bigger majority than we though," Kylie said. "I guess all those calls I made paid off."

"I'm really glad you could come down here," Rachel said to her sister. "Seriously, thanks for making those calls."

"We made calls, too!" Kurt said.

"I am thankful for that," Rachel said, giving her best friend a hug. "Once we've gotten settled in DC, we'll come up to New York to visit. I'll need my best friend and my sister to help me pick out a wedding dress."

"Can I come, too?" Finn asked.

"Finn!" Kurt said. "You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding."

Finn pouted. "Look what happened last time you saw her!" Blaine said.

"I guess that's a point," Finn sighed.

"It is," Kurt said.

"But we're having a White House wedding!" Rachel added. "I'm so excited."

"Yeah, me too," Finn said. "Now that that criminal isn't going to be in the White House anymore, we can have it there."

"Do you think he'll go to jail?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Finn said. "But I doubt he'll get away with this." The internet had been blowing up all day and even many Vinick supporters were admitting that they were appalled.

"Every now and then, people get what they deserve," Kylie said.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed.

x

Rachel heard soft cries in the middle of the night. She looked next to her and saw that Finn was still asleep and wanted it to stay that way, so she tiptoed over to the cribs, picked Emma up, made sure Ryan was still asleep, and went to the living room. "Are you hungry, baby girl?" Rachel asked softly as she lifted her shirt, letting Emma nurse. "You've got a big appetite, just like your daddy and your brother." She bent down and kissed her daughter gently, cradling her. "We don't want to wake up Daddy and your brother though, do we?"

Rachel heard footsteps, hoping that it wasn't Finn awake. But instead, she saw Matt coming in. "Hey!"

"Hey you," Matt said. "I was just coming to get some water. I see someone else is thirsty."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I just didn't want her to wake Finn and Ryan up." She looked up. "Really, I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here... a hotel wouldn't be the best place for two newborn babies."

"I told you, you can stay as long as you want," Matt said. "You and Finn and Emma and Ryan are part of the family."

Rachel smiled softly. After the 9/11 attacks, she felt like she didn't have a family. But that was far from the truth. "Thank you. You know, I'm really going to miss you when you go up to DC to start doing transition work there." It was crazy to think that she'd spent practically every day for nearly a year with her biological father before she found out who he was. Then she found out and couldn't say anything, but now things were better than she'd imagined.

"Hey, I'll be back down here for Thanksgiving," Matt said. "And we can talk on the phone. Finn's family and your sisters from Shelby are welcome to spend Thanksgiving with us down here, too."

"I'd love that," Rachel said. "Finn and I are going to try to get an apartment not too far from the White House, so we can spend time with our family. I was worried that Peter and Miranda would hate me when we told them..."

"I told you they wouldn't," Matt said. "They love you."

Rachel took a deep breath. "So, when do you plan on telling the public about me?" The only thing she knew was to not know what to expect.

"I have a statement I'm working on," Matt said. "I don't know how people will react, but however they react, what's more important to me is that I have my daughter with me."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Come to think of it, the story is kind of nice, how we were together for so long and didn't know we were related..."

"It is," Matt agreed.

Emma released herself from Rachel, as if letting her know she'd had enough. "I guess I'd better get her back to sleep."

"Enjoy the sleep," Matt said.

"Thanks," Rachel said. She stood up, reaching out for a hug before she took her daughter back to the guest room. When she got back, she saw Finn sitting up. "Finn! You should be asleep!"

"I noticed my girls were gone," Finn said.

"She was hungry," Rachel said. "We went to the living room in hopes of not waking you up... I see we were unsuccessful." She lay Emma in her crib and then lay back down in the bed next to Finn. "I love you." She kissed him deeply.

"What was that for?" Finn asked.

"I'm just so happy," Rachel said.

"Well, you deserve to be happy," Finn said.

"You do, too," Rachel said. "I know it's not as obvious, but you went through a lot to get to where we are now. Just think, Finn... we're engaged, we have the two most perfect babies ever and we'll be working in what has the potential to be the best administration in the history of the United States."

"Yeah," Finn said. "It's pretty amazing, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty amazing," Rachel said. She leaned in for a kiss. "We should get back to sleep soon, these guys will probably hungry again in a few hours. But before we go to sleep, there is something I'd like to do." She slipped something into his hand.

"I'd love to," Finn said.

 _Chapter 36 preview: Finchel travel to DC for the inaugural, move into their new place and prepare to start their new jobs._


	36. Chapter 36: The Inaugural

_Hi everyone. Thank you SO much for all your support. I appreciate it more than I can say. When I started this story all those months ago, I wasn't sure if it would work out because I was doing something so different from original Glee and I'd never done a crossover before. But here we are! Thanks so much for all your support again. I am going to miss these characters and this world so much. I'm not done yet though - we still need the Finchel wedding and then two flashforwards, then I really will be done :( But for now, enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going! :)_

Chapter 36: The Inaugural

Finn was having trouble sleeping. This time though, it wasn't because he was worried about something, or because the babies were up a lot. (Well, the babies were up a lot, but even if they hadn't been, Finn probably still would have had trouble sleeping.) It was because he was so excited. Today was the day. Today, Matt Santos would be inaugurated as President of the United States.

This was it, this was what all the hard work of the past year had led up to. At noon today, Vinick would be leaving the White House - and it was unlikely he'd ever set foot in there again. In fact, a trial was scheduled next week for the tampering with the election, and Vinick would likely face at least twenty years in prison.

The fact that the election had been tampered with had shocked and horrified the country. All the other politicians involved with the tampering had resigned their positions, but they weren't getting off scot free and would each be spending five years in prison. They all claimed they didn't want to do it and were afraid of what Vinick would do to them if they didn't agree to it, but they were still getting punished.

But after today, Vinick was just going to be a has-been. Even though the Santos administration hadn't officially taken office yet, they might as well have. The cabinet officials had been named, some bills were already prepared to go to congress to improve education and health care, and the president-elect and Secretary of State appointment had begun communicating with officials in foreign countries.

The future was looking good for Finn and Rachel as well. They'd both gotten jobs as part-time aides to the president, where they could continue some of their responsibilities from the campaign, such as scheduling events and operating the blog and social media accounts. But they also wanted to finish their degrees, so they'd both enrolled at University of Washington DC. Finn would take classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Rachel would take classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they would both be at the White House working on days that they weren't in class. Their offices at the White House had enough room so that they could bring Ryan and Emma to work with them, though Carole said she would also be happy to watch them sometimes and there would be childcare available there.

Burt may have been elected to the Senate, but that wasn't his only job offer. Now that Governor Casey had to resign, a special election would be held for governor of Ohio, and many Ohio Democrats wanted Burt to run. Burt wouldn't be running though - Matt had appointed Burt to the cabinet as Secretary of Education.

Ryan and Emma were about ten weeks old now and Finn and Rachel both couldn't believe how big they'd gotten in such a short time. Finn couldn't prove anything, but he was pretty sure that both babies already knew who both he and Rachel were. When one of them came into a room, the babies would reach out for their parent and snuggle close when in their parents' arms. They had adjusted just fine to DC, but with Finn and Rachel moving into a new place with them today, Finn hoped everything would go well.

The family had come into DC right after Thanksgiving, which Burt, Carole, Kurt, Blaine, Kylie and Beth had spent in Texas with Finn, Rachel, Emma and Ryan. Finn and Rachel also got to spend Christmas with their families in DC. They still hadn't gotten to introduce their babies to their glee friends yet, but they hoped soon things would calm down enough so they could.

x

"Hey guys," Rachel said softly as she changed Ryan and Emma into the red, white and blue onesies she and Kurt had picked out for today. "You guys are getting so big." She kissed them each as Ryan grabbed her finger and Emma squealed. "No Ryan, not that finger, that's got my engagement ring!" It had been over two months, but she was so happy to have an engagement ring on her finger again. Right now, she and Finn were leaning toward summer of 2018 for the wedding, since the babies would almost be two by then and could be part of it.

"Don't they look cute?" Finn asked, coming up behind Rachel.

"Yeah, they do," Rachel said. "And so do you."

"I promise not to step on your feet too much at the inaugural balls," Finn said.

"Finn, you don't need to keep making comments about your dancing," Rachel said. "Though I'm REALLY looking forward to the ball tonight."

"Me too," Finn said. "Especially our duet." Matt and Helen had asked Finn and Rachel to sing for the POTUS/FLOTUS dance. Right away, both Finn and Rachel knew what song they wanted to sing and hoped the people at the ball (and the people who watched the ball) would love it as much as they did.

"I missed our duets so much," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn said. "But how about that place we're going to live in?"

"Yeah, it's a pretty cool place," Rachel said, remembering the day she found out where she was going to live.

x

It was one of the last nights in Texas. Finn had already gone to sleep, but both babies were up and needed to be fed. Sitting in the living room, Rachel hoped that she wouldn't wake anyone up. The flight from Houston to DC would be tomorrow. Rachel and Finn would be staying at Burt and Carole's DC apartment with the babies while they looked for an apartment of their own, hopefully in the same building as Burt and Carole's, or at least close to both the White House and University of Washington DC.

Rachel looked up as she saw Matt coming into the living room. "Are your little ones keeping you up, too?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "My dads always talked about how I couldn't sleep through the night... so I guess it doesn't surprise me that my kids and my siblings can't sleep." She felt sadness coming to her that her dads wouldn't meet Ryan and Emma. "Were Peter and Miranda up in the middle of the night a lot, too?"

"Yeah," Matt said. "I'm actually glad you're up though, because I wanted to talk to you. Helen and I have been talking, and we also asked Peter and Miranda what they'd think of this idea. You and Finn are going to be busy once we get to DC, being in school and working, and of course having two babies..."

"Well, with the way we have our schedules worked out, one of us will always be with the little ones, and you said that we can bring them to our offices with us," Rachel said.

"Yeah, but you still will need help," Matt said. "I was wondering if you'd like to move in with me."

Rachel had a feeling she knew what that meant. "The White House?"

"Yes," Matt said. "If you and Finn would like that, we'd love to have you move into the White House with us. There's going to be lots of help on hand whenever you need it..."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "The White House? Oh my God, I'd love to! And I'm sure Finn would, too!"

"We'd love to have you," Matt said. "I missed so much of your life... but it's not too late."

Rachel knew it would likely be too much for her and Finn to be in an apartment by themselves. She just didn't think she'd be invited to live in the White House. "Yes! I'd love to! Thank you so much... Matt." It was then she realized she had to stop herself from saying Dad. She didn't know if Matt would be okay with her calling him Dad. She also didn't know what her dads would think. But she could think about that later. She was going to live in the White House!

x

"We're really going to live in the White House," Rachel said. She dreaded that when the public found out that she was The Santos Baby, she and her biological father would be mocked at best and have all sorts of accusations thrown at them at worst. Instead, the response had been generally positive - many people thought it was sweet that as it turned out, the president-elect and his biological daughter had been together all along. Granted, the fact that there was so much scandal in the political world right now may have had something to do with it, but Rachel would take this.

"I'm checking the forecast," Finn said. "It's supposed to be in the 40s today, which isn't too bad for January... we should still bundle these guys up."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We'll be outside a lot, between the ceremony and the parade. Have you talked to your parents?"

"They're going to be at the church," Finn said. "We'll see them then."

"Great," Rachel said. It probably wouldn't really sink in what all was happening until it all actually happened.

x

Neither Finn nor Rachel had ever been particularly religious, but the service at the church had been nice enough. The next place to go was the White House for breakfast before the inaugural ceremonies began. The Vinick and Santos staffs would be having breakfast together and Finn had to admit, he was nervous. He knew what Vinick was like on normal days - today, he'd probably be extra nasty. Never had there been this big a scandal in the government. In fact, right now, as Finn and Rachel were preparing to leave Blair House, they saw footage on TV of John Ellis, the governor of Florida, being escorted out of a courthouse.

"You ready to go to the White House?" Peter asked Finn.

"Yeah, I am," Finn said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Peter said. "I'm glad you and Rachel and the babies are coming with us."

"Me too," Rachel said. "We're going to have lots of fun there."

"We'll see if Rachel can still bowl strikes in the bowling alley," Finn declared.

"Oh, I will," Rachel said to her fiancee.

"We're going to hold you to it," Peter said. "And I bet Finn will make the biggest cannonballs in the pool."

"Oh, we'll go to the pool a lot, trust me," Finn said. "It'll be awesome to see Rachel in her bikini."

"The pool has a water slide," Miranda said. "And a lazy river and a waterfall and other cool stuff."

"We'll have fun in it," Rachel said.

"You guys almost ready to go?" Helen asked as she and Matt came in with Brayden and Lily.

"We've been ready since the day we joined the campaign," Rachel said. The soon-to-be first family (it was hard to believe that Finn would be part of the first family by marriage) got in the limo to the White House, where Vinick and some staff members were waiting outside. Finn couldn't help but notice how nasty Vinick was trying to look.

The family began heading up to the White House. "Welcome to your new house," one of the staffers said half heartedly.

"Thank you," Matt said. "Mr. President, thank you for your service."

"It's because of you that I'm going to prison," Vinick snapped.

"No, Mr. President, it's because of yourself that you're going to prison," Matt said. "But do we really need to act this way today?"

"We don't need to be a sore loser," another staffer said. "Mr. President-elect, Mrs. Santos, come on in with your kids and grandkids. The staff prepared a great breakfast."

Vinick sulked throughout breakfast, not talking much to his successor or his successor's staff. Some of the outgoing staff tried talking to the incoming staff, but both Finn and Rachel could still feel the tension. Finn had to admit, the food was amazing, and he was glad to be getting food from here for another four - eight, he corrected himself - years. He felt his phone vibrating and looked at it to see a text from Kurt. "We're at the Capitol. Looking into the general public area, hundreds of thousands of people seem to already be here!"

Finn showed the text message to Rachel. "Wow, this is amazing," Rachel said.

A secret service agent came in. "It's time to go to the capitol."

Rachel squealed. Finn had to smile at Rachel's reaction as he took her hand. They put the babies in their stroller and walked to the limo. On the way to the Capitol, Finn looked out the window and saw Americans lined up around the streets, waving Santos campaign signs, homemade signs, American flags, balloons... all sorts of people... male, female, young, old, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, cheap looking clothes, expensive looking clothes... all cheering and looking so happy.

"We did this," Rachel said to Finn.

"Yeah, we did," Finn said. "Being part of something special makes you special." He remembered what Rachel had said all those years ago.

The limo pulled up at the capitol and Finn and Rachel got out. The Marine Corps Band was playing patriotic hymns as various politicians arrived. Finn turned to Rachel. "I guess this is where I leave you." Rachel would have a special entrance as one of the president-elect's children.

"Yeah," Rachel said, giving Finn a hug and then kissing the babies. "I'll see you at our seats."

x

Waiting inside for her entrance was exciting for Rachel. Finn had texted her to say he was at his seat and that he'd seen his parents. Even from inside, Rachel could hear the cheers. "Our daddy's going to be president!" Rachel said as she tickled Brayden and Lily.

"Yeah he is," Peter added.

"Being your father is more important to me," Matt said.

"Well, I'm glad, but I spent over a year working to getting you elected," Rachel said.

"I'm glad you're coming to the White House with us, Rachel," Miranda said.

"Me too," Rachel said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the children of the president-elect, Rachel Berry, Peter Santos, Miranda Santos, Brayden Santos and Lily Santos!" the MC announced.

"We'll see you out there," Helen said.

Rachel picked up Brayden and Lily and walked outside with her siblings, hearing cheers and applause. She spotted Finn in his seat and smiled over at him, and he smiled back. When Rachel took her seat, she felt goosebumps. It was hard to really pay attention to the invocation, the interludes and the remarks by other politicians. Then Sam Seaborn was sworn in as vice president, and Rachel knew what that meant was next. She felt goosebumps as she stepped on to the podium with Finn, Ryan, Emma, Matt, Helen and her siblings. She'd said she didn't need to be on the podium, but the family had insisted that she, Finn, and the babies be there.

"I, Matthew Vincente Santos, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Rachel listened to her father, the candidate she'd spent the past year working for... the president. The 21-gun salute and Hail To The Chief began. It was official.

Matt Santos was President of the United States.

Rachel had to squeal as she formed into a group hug with Finn and their babies. She kissed Finn passionately and then kissed both of their babies. It still felt unreal, like it was just a dream. But it was real. They'd actually done it.

She then hugged the new President and First Lady and her siblings, then waved to the crowd. These were by far the loudest cheers she'd ever heard.

After a few moments of taking it in, Finn and Rachel returned to their seats to listen to the inaugural address. "Today, we have chosen hope over fear," Matt began. "We live in difficult times. I know that. The challenges we face are real. Our relations with other countries have been fallen apart. The economy is in peril. Too many people are without health care. Too many schools are failing. Homes and jobs and loved ones have been lost. I'm not going to pretend what lies ahead is going to be easy. It's going to be difficult. But I'm not afraid.

"If there's one thing I've learned in this campaign, it's that anything is possible. I always believed that America was a land of opportunity and never have I seen that more evident than over the past two years. I saw so many people come together for a common cause. They wanted better. They knew that their country could do better and was capable of better. They knew that things could be fixed. Today, we look to the next horizon and begin our next dream. It's a new chapter in American history, and I hope that working together, we can make this the best one yet..."

Rachel felt Finn's hand in hers, and she looked over and smiled at him.

x

At the end of the inaugural address, there was another musical interlude and the National Anthem, and then came a part of the day that Finn was dreading - the First Family was to escort Vinick out of the Capitol. Finn had been too enthralled by today's events to pay much attention to Vinick, but he had a feeling that Vinick would do something obnoxious at some point.

As Finn and Rachel began walking toward Vinick with the Santoses, Vinick tripped on some of the stairs. Finn had to hold in a laugh, and looking over at Rachel, he saw that she was doing the same thing.

But the new president walked over to his successor, the man who'd made his life a living hell for over a year, and extended a hand, only to earn a glare that could kill from Vinick. "Come on, it's only a hand," Matt said.

Vinick looked even more disgusted, but accepted the help up. He then stormed away, kicking over a stand on the way. The First Family followed behind, but Vinick didn't even say goodbye before boarding the plane.

"I guess some people never change," Rachel said to Finn.

"Yup, pretty much," Finn said.

Luckily, Vinick's tantrum didn't ruin the rest of the day. The luncheon immediately followed, and it was one of the best meals Finn had ever had. It was a three course meal - seafood orderves for an appetizer, then salad for a second course, filet mignon with roasted potatoes, squash and vegetables as the main course and pies as dessert.

Finn was sure he'd taken in a lot of calories, but luckily, the parade followed. The family was walking the entire parade route. Finn and Rachel had bundled up Ryan and Emma, knowing they wanted their children to be part of this as well. True, they wouldn't remember this, but they could show them the videos in a few years and show them that they were part of this.

As Finn and Rachel walked along the streets of DC with their children and with the Santos family, Finn looked at the crowd that had lined the streets. They were all cheering, waving, taking photos, wearing Santos shirts and buttons... and they all looked so happy.

As the parade came to a halt, he pulled Rachel in to re-enact their kiss in the confetti after they won Nationals their senior year. As they pulled apart, Rachel pulled Finn in for a big hug. "What was that for?"

"I just love you so much, and I'm so proud of you," Finn said.

"I'm so proud of you," Rachel said. "And I love you." She looked at the crowd. "Look how happy everyone is."

But Finn doubted very few people were as happy as he was. He would never, ever forget today.

x

Finn and Rachel did get a few hours to take a break before the inaugural ball. By the time they got back to the White House, most of their things had been moved into their new bedroom. The nursery was next door. Finn looked around the room, realizing that now, he and Rachel had a bedroom to themselves. Sure, they'd shared all those hotel rooms on the campaign trail together, and they shared a bedroom at the Santos house while they stayed there, but this room was theirs. It was going to be theirs for the next four, no, eight years. There was a queen sized bed for them to share. Posters of both their interests covered the walls. There were dressers and closets filled with both their clothes. There was a couch for feeding the babies, a TV, desks for them to do their schoolwork and administration work. There was even a bathroom that was way nicer than any bathroom Finn had ever seen. And the window had a great view of DC.

Finn and Rachel finally had a bedroom of their own.

"This is so nice," Rachel said, seeming to be thinking the same thing Finn was thinking.

"I know," Finn said. "And it's ours." He smiled over at Ryan and Emma who were in their portacribs. "Your room is pretty nice, too."

"Yeah, it is," Rachel said. "And since there are eleven bedrooms here, there's enough for them to each have their own when they're old enough. Maybe we should get them down for a nap before the inaugural ball."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Finn said. "And while they're napping, how about we try out our new bed?"

"I love that idea," Rachel said.

x

The new bed was very comfortable and sturdy. Finn and Rachel knew they didn't have to worry about breaking it.

Of course, now it was time to head down to the inaugural ball. Finn had put Ryan and Emma in their stroller and had changed into his tux for the ball, and now all he had to do was wait for Rachel. He'd gotten a text from Kurt that he and Blaine were on their way over with Burt and Carole.

Rachel came out of the bathroom. Her dress was pale purple and floor length, with blue sparkles on the skirt. The dress was strapless and had a dark purple ribbon around her waist with a bow in the back. "Wow," Finn said. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," Rachel said, leaning in to kiss Finn. "Ready to get down there?"

"I've been ready," Finn said. He took Rachel's hand as they walked downstairs with the babies, seeing Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine in the ballroom.

"Oh, doesn't your fiancee have a beautiful dress?" Kurt asked Finn.

"She does, doesn't she?" Finn asked.

"You guys should see our room in the White House!" Rachel said. "It's unbelievable. And so is the kids' room. There's so many toys... they're going to be so spoiled."

"Well, we'll need to come over soon," Blaine said.

"We'd love that," Finn said.

Finn and Rachel alternated between spending the evening sitting with their kids and dancing on the dance floor. After about an hour, the President and First Lady would be making their entrance, and Finn and Rachel would be performing. Finn and Rachel took their spots at the podium, ready to introduce the First Couple. "Hey, everyone!" Rachel called out. "Is everyone having fun tonight?"

The crowd cheered. "Good, so am I," Rachel said. "And I'd like to introduce the President and First Lady, Matt and Helen Santos!"

The crowd cheered so loud, the roof could have been blown off, as Matt and Helen entered the ballroom. "Rachel and I have a few things to say before the POTUS/FLOTUS dance," Finn said. He and Rachel had decided to publicly thank the new president for what he'd done for them. "At this time two years ago, I was lost. I was broken up with Rachel. The glee club I'd been leading had been disbanded. I was at a college I didn't care for and working at a tire shop, just going through the motions. I was living, but at the same time, I wasn't living. But then I joined the Santos campaign, and went from being a scared, confused, lost person to the strong, confident man you see here today. I'm finishing my degree, I have a great job in the administration, and Rachel and I have two amazing babies and are engaged to be married. So, Mr. President, I wanted to say thank you for taking a chance on me."

Rachel took the microphone. "Like Finn said, I was completely lost two years ago. We all know the story of what happened with my short-lived Broadway and TV career, and I couldn't even get a job as a cleaning lady. When I joined the campaign, everything changed. I don't know where I'd be today if I hadn't joined the campaign and I don't want to know. I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. Mr. President, you've always been my father, but in the past year, even before I found out, you've become my dad as well. And Helen - thank you so much for becoming the mom I never had. I know the Santos administration will do great things, and Finn and I are so proud to be part of it, to watch our children grow in the White House and to get married in this very room next summer. Thank you."

The music began as Finn and Rachel began their duet. This song would always be special to both of them. It was when they first sang this song publicly that Finn had first told Rachel he loved her. It only made sense that now, when they loved each other more than ever, that they share it with the country for the most watched dance of the year.

 _Finn: Highway run  
Into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round  
You're on my mind  
Rachel: Restless hearts  
Sleep alone tonight  
Sending all my love  
Along the wire  
Finn and Rachel: And they say that the road  
Ain't no place to start a family  
But, right down the line it's been you and me  
And loving a music man  
Ain't always what it's supposed to be  
Rachel: Oh boy, you stand by me  
Finn and Rachel: I'm forever yours  
Faithfully  
Rachel: Circus life  
Under the big top world  
Finn and Rachel: We all need the clowns  
To make us smile  
Rachel: Oh!_

 _Through space and time  
Finn: Through space and time  
Finn and Rachel: Always another show  
Wondering where I am  
Lost without you  
And being a part ain't easy on this love affair  
Two strangers learn to fall in love again  
I get the joy of rediscovering you  
Finn: Oh girl, you stand by me  
Finn and Rachel: I'm forever yours  
Faithfully_

This was the point in the song in high school that Finn and Rachel's glee teammates had come in to join them for backup. If there was one thing Finn would change today, he'd want their friends to be here. They'd been so supportive of him and Rachel over the past year, always sending them encouraging texts, congratulating them during the campaign's highs, asking if they were okay during the lows... then Finn saw the group coming down the aisle, led by Kurt and Blaine, harmonizing. Finn looked at Rachel in shock. She had a wide smile, but she looked completely surprised.

 _Finn and Rachel: Oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh oh...!  
Finn: Faithfully...  
New Directions alumni: Oh oh oh oh (Rachel: Faithfully)  
Oh oh oh oh oh (Rachel: I'm still yours)  
oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Rachel: I'm still yours!  
New Directions alumni: Oh oh oh oh,  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
Finn and Rachel: Oh oh oh oh oh oh!  
New Directions: Oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Finn and Rachel: I'm still yours!  
Faithfully..._

As the dance finished, Finn and Rachel ran up to hug their friends. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Your friends from the campaign thought you guys might like it if they flew us out," Mercedes said.

"I can't believe it!" Rachel said as she and the girls formed a big group hug. "You guys are here, you're really here."

"We're so proud of you guys," Artie said.

"Thank you so much for coming," Rachel said.

"So, where are the babies?" Santana asked.

"Oh, we'll go get them," Finn said. He led the group to where Burt and Carole were with the babies. "This is Ryan, and this is Emma."

"Oh my God!" Marley said. "They're so cute!"

"We're all going to spoil the heck out of them," Tina said.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Finn and I are already spoiling them, and they do live in the White House," Rachel said.

"Too bad!" Kurt said.

"So, did you two like your surprise?" Finn turned and saw Matt and Helen with the kids.

"Yes, thank you!" Rachel said.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Mike asked.

"Yes!" Finn said. "Sir, you may remember Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Sam Evans, Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce, Artie Abrams, Kitty Wilde, Noah Puckerman, Marley Rose and Tina Cohen-Chang from our stops in New York. And this is Mike Chang, Quinn Fabray, Ryder Lynn, Unique Adams and Jake Puckerman."

"It's nice to meet all of you, and I hope you all know how lucky you are to have Finn and Rachel as your friends," Matt said. "They're pretty special."

Finn and Rachel looked at how starstruck their friends looked to be talking to the president. And he'd called them special!

"We put together a number for today, if you two want to join us," Sam said to Finn and Rachel.

"Are you kidding?" Rachel asked. "I haven't even done a number before with most of you who joined after I graduated."

"Yeah, of course we do," Finn said.

"Just follow our lead," Blaine said, leading Finn and Rachel back to the stage as the music began. Finally, the regular members of New Directions were all performing together again.

 _Finn: Hope when you take that jump  
You don't feel the fall  
Finn and Sam: Hope when the water rises  
You built a wall  
Artie: Hope when the crowd screams out  
They're screaming your name  
Artie and Sam: Hope if everybody runs  
You choose to stay  
Rachel: I hope that you fall in love  
Rachel and Mercedes: And it hurts so bad  
The (only way you can know)  
You give it (all you had)  
Blaine: And I hope that you don't suffer  
But take the pain  
Blaine and Kurt: Hope when the moment comes  
You'll say  
New Directions alumni: I, I did it all  
I, I did it all  
I owned every second that this world could give  
I saw so many places, the things that I did  
Yeah With every broken bone  
I swear I lived  
Sam: Hope that you spend your days  
But they all add up  
Mercedes and Sam: Ooh  
And when that sun goes down  
Hope you raise your cup  
Ooh  
Blaine and Kurt: I wish that I could witness  
All your joy and all your pain  
But until my moment comes  
I'll say  
New Directions alumni: I, I did it all  
I, I did it all  
I owned every second that this world could give  
I saw so many places, the things that I did  
Yeah With every broken bone  
I swear I lived  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-o-oh-o-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Finn and Rachel: With every broken bone  
Rachel: I lived  
New Directions alumni: I, I did it all (Artie: I did it all, yeah)  
I, I did it all (Artie: I did it all, yeah)  
I owned every second that this world could give (Artie: This world could give)  
I saw so many places, the things that I did  
Yeah, with every broken bone, I swear I lived  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh (Blaine: Oh, yeah)  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-o-oh-o-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh (Blaine and Finn: I swear I lived)  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh Mmhh  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh Mmhh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh Mmhh  
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh Mmhh_

x

Rachel couldn't stop thinking about how amazing today had been. She and Finn hadn't expected to reunite with their friends. She'd had a feeling today would be amazing, but she didn't know just how great it would be.

"Step outside with me for a moment?" Finn asked Rachel.

"I'd love to," Rachel said. As much as she enjoyed being with everyone, she still needed time with Finn.

Finn took Rachel's hand as they left the dance floor and stepped outside on to the dock of the White House. Rachel listened to the lyrics of the song that was playing. "Everything is gonna be all right. Be strong. Believe."

Everything was going to be all right. America was free from Vinick. Finn and Rachel's lives were finally in order. As the president (Rachel loved thinking that and seeing who was now associated with that title when she thought it) had said in his inaugural address, the climb would be steep, but they could do it.

"Can you believe it?" Finn asked, putting his arm around Rachel.

"It's hard to believe," Rachel said. "We did it."

"Yeah, we did it," Finn said. "When you're tired, we can go upstairs. After all, we are home."

"I never thought the White House would be home," Rachel laughed.

"Yeah, it's crazy," Finn agreed.

Rachel began rubbing Finn's hand. "It's not too cold for January..." She leaned up against Finn. "Are you happy?"

"So happy," Finn said. "Are you happy?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I've never been so happy in my life. Our campaign succeeded and it's President Santos now, not President Vinick. We're close with our friends again. I have my dad in my life, and not just my dad, but I have a mom for the first time, and brothers and sisters. I'm a mom to two amazing kids." She smiled up at Finn. "And I have you."

"I love you," Finn said as he hugged Rachel. "I know this was a tough journey, but things couldn't be better right now. The Santos presidency isn't just a new start for the country... it's a new start for us. We've got great jobs, our kids, we'll finish our college degrees, we're getting married soon... and we've got a pretty cool place to live, if you ask me. Life is good."

"Yeah, it's good," Rachel said, kissing Finn. "I love you too."

As Finn and Rachel pulled apart from their kiss, they watched the fireworks fly up into the sky. One seemed magical, as it wrote out, "Santos."

"Did you see that one?" Finn asked Rachel. "That was amazing, it was magical... it was perfect."

"Yeah, it was perfect for tonight," Rachel said. "And tonight... everything is finally perfect."


	37. Chapter 37: White House Wedding

_Hi guys. So here's the chapter I've been excited for - the wedding chapter! I know it's long, but a Finchel wedding - let alone a Finchel White House wedding - is a big deal, so I figured why not go all out? :) Plus, anything to get to write more of this story. All that's left after this are two flashforwards :( Thanks again for all your support. Hope you enjoy and review if I should keep going :)_

Chapter 37: White House Wedding

Finn couldn't believe that after today, he was going to be Rachel's husband. The wait had been long, but at least it was finally here.

Finn and Rachel had wanted to wait until Ryan and Emma were older to have the wedding, but at the same time, they didn't want to wait too long. Now was a great time. In November, Ryan and Emma would be two, and they were both walking and starting to talk, so they could walk down the aisle (or they might just ride in a wagon, as they had at Kurt and Blaine's wedding) as a ring bearer and flower girl. Finn and Rachel couldn't believe how big their babies were getting.

The babies weren't the only ones growing. This spring, Finn had graduated from University of Washington DC with his bachelor's degree in education. He was also now working Monday through Friday in the Department of Education's office. Rachel would likely be graduating next spring. She was also still working as an assistant to the president.

They were less than two years in, but the Santos administration had already done great things. A new universal health care bill had passed six months into the administration and an education bill had been passed as well. Unemployment was slowly but surely going down and America was gradually becoming more respected in the world.

Finn looked in the mirror at his tux for the wedding. Kurt had helped him pick it out. Would Rachel think he was handsome? He was sure she was beautiful, no matter what her dress looked like (though he was wondering what it looked like).

"Well, don't you look handsome?" Kurt said, standing at his brother's side.

"Thanks bro," Finn said, smiling at Kurt, then at Ryan, who was holding Kurt's hand. He picked up his son. "Are you ready for Mom and Dad to get married?"

"Yeah!" Ryan said.

"Let's get to the Blue Room with the other groomsmen," Kurt said.

"Okay," Finn said. Maybe being with his friends would help. He was so nervous. He'd been waiting for the wedding since he and Rachel first joined Glee, but now it was really happening. What if he fell down? What if Rachel got cold feet? What if he flubbed his vows? "Were you nervous waiting for your wedding?"

"You were the one who had to calm me down, remember?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Finn said. "So I guess it's normal."

"Of course it's normal," Kurt said. "But once you get married, it'll be the best feeling ever."

Finn walked into the Blue Room with Kurt, where Blaine, Sam, Artie, Mike, Puck, Rory, Ryder and Jake were waiting with Burt and Carole. "Finn, you look so handsome," Carole said, getting up and hugging her son.

"Thanks Mom," Finn said. "I can't believe I'm getting married. Hopefully no one will get hit by a truck this time."

"There have to be a million camera crews outside," Mike said.

"All my friends from film school were begging me to somehow get them in to cover the wedding," Artie said.

"Hey, the only photographer we need is the one Rachel and I hired," Finn said. "I'm marrying Rachel, that's what matters."

"Finn, the press is all over this," Burt said. "There hasn't been a White House wedding in like, fifty years."

"Well, White House or Justice of the Peace, I'm just glad to be marrying her," Finn said.

"When's the baby's due date?" Puck asked.

Finn remembered Puck asking him that when he and Rachel got engaged their senior year. "Throwback, huh?"

"Well, are you two going to have a honeymoon baby?" Puck asked.

"Well, we don't want to start trying for baby #3 until after Rachel graduates," Finn said.

"Baby?" Ryan asked.

"See, even Ryan wants another baby!" Kurt said.

"It'll happen," Finn told his friends. "Seriously, thanks so much for coming to DC to be my groomsmen. I know that now that I'm working for the White House, I haven't been able to see you all as much as I'd like..."

"Hey, of course we're here," Sam said. "We've all been waiting for this."

"It's the White House!" Jake said.

"And it's so nice to be back in America," Rory said.

The door opened as Matt came in with Peter and Brayden. "Just dropping off your ring bearers," Matt said.

"You're going to be my brother!" Peter exclaimed to Finn. "I promise I won't drop the rings."

"I am," Finn said. He turned to Matt. "I promise I'll take care of your daughter."

"Hard to believe after today, Finn, you'll officially be part of the First Family," Sam said.

"He's always been part of the First Family," Matt said.

"Thanks for letting us use the White House for the bachelor party, Mr. President," Blaine added.

"Since it was here, Puck couldn't do certain things for the party," Artie said.

Finn resisted the urge to say something. "Like watch R-rated movies?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, like that," Ryder said, clearly what Finn was thinking.

Finn looked at the rings on the pillow. "I can't wait to wear that."

"I helped pick out some great rings, didn't I?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, you did," Finn said.

x

Rachel looked at her wedding dress hanging in the Red Room where the bridesmaids would be hanging out before the wedding. Her dress had been in a safe so there wouldn't be a risk of Finn seeing it. She'd been so excited to wear it since the day she picked it out and when she went again last week for her final fitting. Kurt, Kylie, Santana, Helen and Carole had gone with her to pick out the dress, but the rest of her bridesmaids hadn't seen it yet.

"Ready to get into your dress?" Kylie asked as she and Santana stood with Rachel.

Rachel turned to face her maids of honor. It had been tough to decide who would be her maid of honor. Even though Kylie hadn't come into her life until she was almost 23, it was as if the two of them had been sisters there whole lives. They talked on the phone multiple times a week, texted almost every day, and knew all about each other's lives. And of course, Santana and Rachel had come a long way since they first met each other and had so many great times together in New York. So Rachel decided to make both of them maids of honor.

With the help of her maids of honor, Rachel got into her dress and then walked into the main part of the Red Room, where all her bridesmaids, flower girls and mother figure were waiting. "Rachel, you look beautiful!" Mercedes exclaimed.

"Thank you," Rachel said.

"Mommy pretty," Emma said.

Rachel picked up her daughter, who was wearing a little white dress with a sash that was the same shade of blue as the maid of honors' dresses. "Thank you, sweetie! Ready for Mommy and Daddy to get married?"

"Yeah!" Emma giggled.

"This dress is better than the one for the wedding that didn't go through," Brittany said.

"I hope Finn thinks so, too," Rachel said.

"Well, this time, he'll first see you when you walk down the aisle," Tina said.

"Thanks for letting us be in the wedding, Rachel," Marley said. Rachel had asked Marley, Kitty and Unique to be bridesmaids since she knew how much Finn had loved leading the glee club and that he wanted the guys who'd been in it when he led it in the wedding.

"Of course," Rachel said. "I know it was late, but we got to be close."

"Are you excited to marry Finn?" Quinn asked with Beth on her lap.

"Of course!" Rachel said. "It's finally here."

"Please don't cry," Santana said. "You've cried so much through the years..."

"Of course I'm going to cry," Rachel said.

"Hey, you and Finn deserve happy tears today," Santana said.

"Well, there will be those," Rachel said.

"And at least we know you won't pull a Miss Pillsbury!" Kitty said.

"Yeah, I should have been there that day," Rachel said.

"Well, we're all here now," Unique said. "The long term New Directions girls, plus your sister."

"And she's become like an honorary New Directions girl," Marley added.

"Well, I knew I wanted the New Directions singing at my wedding," Rachel said.

The door opened and Rachel saw one of the White House staffers. "It's almost four."

Rachel looked at her bridesmaids and flower girls. "This is it."

Kylie handed Rachel her bouquet. "You're about to be a married woman."

"Yeah," Rachel said, giving her sister a hug.

"I'm glad you and Finn will still live with us," Miranda said.

"Me too," Rachel said. "You'll go over to play with Ryan and Emma while Finn and I are on the honeymoon, right?"

"Duh!" Miranda said.

Rachel giggled as the bridesmaids left to line up. When the bridesmaids were gone, Helen came over to Rachel. "Rachel, I have something for you." She handed Rachel a small box. Rachel opened it to see a necklace with a sapphire the same color as some of the bridesmaids' dresses (the bridesmaids had several different shades of blue). "I wore this on my wedding day, and I was wondering if you'd like to wear it as well."

Rachel smiled as she put on the necklace. It was an unofficial tradition for mothers to give their daughters something they'd worn on their wedding day for the daughters to wear. She always thought that wouldn't be the case with her. But now she knew she truly was part of this family. She reached over and took Helen's hand. "Thank you."

"You know I think of you as and love you as my daughter even though I didn't give birth to you, right?" Helen asked.

Rachel smiled. "Thanks... Mom." She'd never been able to call someone that before. As Helen put on the necklace, Matt came in.

"Wow," Matt said, looking at Rachel in her dress. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you," Rachel said.

Helen gave Rachel a hug before leaving her with Matt. Rachel knew these were the last few minutes she'd have before going down the aisle. "You okay?" Matt asked.

"I just can't believe this is really happening," Rachel said. "I'm so nervous."

"I was nervous on my wedding day, too," Matt said. "But when you look back, you'll remember this as the best day of your life."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Thank you." She wasn't just saying thank you for being walked down the aisle, but for everything over the past few years.

Matt seemed to understand what Rachel meant. "Of course. I love you."

Rachel nodded. She already felt herself tearing up. "I love you too, Dad."

Rachel heard Canon in D being played by the Marine Corps Band. The bridal party was walking down the aisle, and soon it would be her turn. She and Finn had almost done it once before, but this time, it was for real.

The music changed to Wagner's Bridal Chorus and the wedding guests stood as Rachel began walking down the aisle.

x

Finn took some deep breaths as he stood in front of the East Room. Burt and Carole were sitting in the front row with Finn's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Mr. and Mrs. Schuester were here with their three kids. Coach Beiste, April Rhodes, Holly Holliday, Matt Rutherford, Lauren Zizes, Sugar Motta, Joe Hart and Becky Jackson were sitting in that row as well. Some of Finn's friends from the various sports teams he'd been on and from University of Lima were here as well, as were Kurt and Rachel's former bandmates in New York, Elliott and Dani. Lots of Finn and Rachel's friends from their college down here had come and so had most of their friends from their jobs at the campaign and the White House.

Of course, a White House wedding was a big deal. There had to be media from almost every major media outlet here today. Most of the White House staff was here - Josh was officiating the wedding, since it had been at his wedding that Rachel had caught the bouquet. Many members of Congress and the Supreme Court were here and so were many governors. (The congressmen and governors who'd helped rig the 2016 election were not here though - they were still in prison.) Former President Bartlet had come - his daughter, Zoey, was now Helen's Chief of Staff. Even some leaders from other countries had come in for the wedding.

Helen and Carole had just lit the unity candles, and the door opened for the entrance of the wedding party. Finn was about to see Rachel.

Peter came out first, carrying the rings. Miranda and Beth came out next, pulling the wagon that Emma, Ryan, Brayden and Lily were in. Then came Puck and Quinn, then Mike and Tina, Jake and Brittany, then Rory and Unique, then Ryder and Marley, then Artie and Kitty, then Sam and Mercedes, then Blaine and Santana, then Kurt and Kylie.

Now that all the attendants were here, Rachel would be next.

"She looks amazing," Kurt whispered to Finn.

Josh asked the wedding guests to stand as the music changed and the door opened for the entrance of the bride. Finn's eyes got big as he saw Rachel walking down the aisle in her wedding dress. Kurt had been right - Rachel looked amazing. He just didn't expect her to look this amazing. Rachel had a one shoulder tulle ball gown with lace appliques and a sweetheart neckline. Her veil had similar beading to the dress and she had her hair down with a slight wave. She'd never looked more beautiful.

Finally, Rachel reached the front of the East Room. Matt gave Rachel a hug and shook Finn's hand, giving her away. Finn took Rachel's hand. Soon he was going to be married to her.

Finn could barely pay attention to the readings and songs. All he could think about was how lucky he was to be getting Rachel as his wife. "You look incredible," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"You look so handsome," Rachel said, taking Finn's hands. "I love you."

"Oh, Finn... where do I begin?" Rachel asked. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love everything about you. I love the way that you make me so happy. I love how you're always there for me. It's so hard for me to put into words how much you mean to me. Before I met you, I was just this crazy short girl with a very big dream... and that was all I had. I thought that Broadway and music and the stage were all that life was. I was convinced I was the most talented person ever and was constantly acting like I was better than everyone else. I guess I was using my talent to cover up my loneliness. Now that I look back, I hate who I was before I met you. Then I met you and I grew so much. You helped me realize that it's okay when other people are just as good or better than you. You helped me become a better team player. You helped me develop social skills. You helped me learn to be more kind and open minded. And most importantly, you taught me how to love. From the first time we met in kindergarten, when someone pushed me over on the playground and you told them not to, I knew you were special, but it wasn't until our first glee rehearsal sophomore year that I knew just how special you were. You support me, encourage me, help me develop my strengths and strengthen my weaknesses, understand me better than anyone, bring out the best in me and have given me all my best memories. I'm so glad that we met in glee and that even after we split up, we met again when we got jobs on the Santos campaign. You and the kids are the best things that have ever happened to me. I love you all so much and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for all of us."

Finn found himself wanting to kiss Rachel early, but he knew he couldn't. "Wow," Finn began. "I've written and rewritten my vows so many times, but I don't know if I can top that. I remember that day in kindergarten you were talking about. Even though I didn't know you very well, it made me so angry to see someone push you over. I remember our first glee rehearsal and how you just went right into it. I remember the day I first told you I loved you and the amazing duet that followed. I remember our date in New York our junior year. I remember our first time by my fireplace. I remember discovering we'd be working on the Santos campaign together. I remember seeing you catch the bouquet at Josh and Donna's wedding and knowing that meant that we were next. I remember learning that we were going to have our first children. I remember getting engaged and having our babies born after we won the election. We have so many great memories. I have a feeling today will be our best one so far, but there's even better ones in the future. I also remember that before you really came into my life, I was missing so much. I knew that I should be happy, since I was the quarterback and dating the head cheerleader, but something was missing. That something was you. I didn't have someone who truly got me and believed in me and who I could have so much fun with. I love you so much, Rachel. So, so much. I know it's been a long and tough journey to get here, but we're here. I remember your dad telling me shortly after we joined the campaign that when two people are meant to be together, the universe finds a way for it to happen. The universe definitely wanted this day to happen. You've given me so much, most importantly our two amazing kids who I love so much. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together and I can't wait to make more Finchel babies." He hadn't planned these vows, but they'd come out better than any of the ones he'd tried to write. He looked over at Rachel, who had tears in her eyes and the biggest smile on her face. Couldn't he kiss her already?

Peter lifted the pillow with the rings. "Rachel, please place the ring on Finn's finger." Josh said as Rachel took a ring off the pillow and slipped it on to Finn's finger. "Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, till death do you part?"

"I do," Rachel said.

Now it was Finn's turn. It was hard to wait for the instruction to place the ring on Rachel's finger. "Finn, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, till death do you part?" Josh asked.

"I do," Finn said, barely holding in his excitement.

"By the power vested in me by the District of Columbia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Finn, you may kiss the bride," Josh said.

Finally, he could. Finn leaned in and gave Rachel the deepest kiss he'd ever given her, slipping in his tongue.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Finn and Rachel Hudson!" Josh declared.

Finn and Rachel pulled apart as the room erupted with cheers. They continued to hug each other as they took in the cheers, then reached out to pick up their kids to join them for a family hug. "Yay Mommy and Daddy!" Ryan said.

"Yeah!" Finn said. "We're married now!"

"When I get married?" Emma asked.

Finn and Rachel both laughed. "Not for a long time!" Rachel said.

Mendelssohn's Wedding March began as Finn and Rachel began processing out of the East Room to go to the Green Room so their family could have some time together. "I can't believe we're finally married," Rachel said as they went into the Green Room.

"Me either," Finn said. "You're Rachel Hudson now."

"Rachel Hudson," Rachel said. "I like the sound of that."

"Now all four of us have the same last name," Finn said.

Rachel looked at their kids. "Did you like the wedding?"

"Yeah!" Ryan said.

"Good," Rachel said. She paused and looked at Finn. "Your vows were perfect."

"I felt like there was no way I could top you," Finn said.

"You did," Rachel said. "Has this day been what you imagined?"

"What I imagined and more," Finn said. "You know, now I know why the universe waited so long for us. It wanted us to have this perfect wedding with our kids and our families and our friends."

"Yeah," Rachel said.

x

Finn and Rachel had some more time with their kids before some more photos were taken with their families and the bridal party, and then it was time for the reception to begin. The bridal party entered, and then the MC made an announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Finn and Rachel Hudson and their children Ryan and Emma!"

Finn loved hearing Rachel's name with his last name. Finn and Rachel entered the room as the guests applauded and they and their kids waved.

"And now, it's time for the first dance!" the MC announced.

Finn and Rachel handed Ryan and Emma over to Burt and Carole as the music for their first dance began. There was no question in either of their minds what song they wanted to use. Faithfully. It would always be their song. But they didn't want the original Journey version, their version from the inaugural, or even a new version. They wanted to do their first dance to a recording of them singing from Regionals their sophomore year.

Finn listened to the recording of him and Rachel as the music began and he began dancing with Rachel. "Remember that day?" Rachel asked. "It's hard to believe it was over eight years ago."

"I loved you then, and I love you now," Finn said.

"I love you too," Rachel said. "It feels like that was yesterday."

"I still think we should have won," Finn said.

"Me too," Rachel agreed. "You're a really great dancer, Finn."

"Well, I have been practicing," Finn laughed.

The music came to an end as Finn pulled his wife in for a kiss. He wished he could stay right here, right now, forever. This song really was perfect for them and described their relationship and everything they'd been through. They were forever each other's, faithfully.

x

After Finn and Rachel's first dance, it was time for the father-daughter dance. There was only one thing that Rachel wished had been different about today - she wished that the men who'd raised her and that the woman who gave birth to her were here. She loved Finn and Ryan and Emma. She loved Kylie and Beth. She loved Matt and Helen and Peter and Miranda and Brayden and Lily. She loved Finn's family and their friends. But she still wished that her whole family could be here.

She'd chosen the song she'd selected for the father-daughter dance because there was something in it for all three of her dads. There was a verse in it that reminded her of each of them - in a way, for each of them to be there.

 _Artie: She spins and she sways to whatever song plays_

 _Without a care in the world_

 _And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders_

 _Blaine: It's been a long day and there's still work to do_

 _She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!_

 _There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited_

 _and I need to practice my dancin'_

 _Oh please, Daddy, please!"_

 _Kurt: So I will dance with Cinderella_

 _While she is here in my arms_

 _'Cause I know something the prince never knew_

 _Rory: Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

 _I don't want to miss even one song_

 _'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

 _And she'll be gone_

 **"Daddy!" a five year old Rachel shouted as LeRoy came home from work.**

 **"Hi Rachel!" LeRoy said, picking up his daughter.**

 **"Daddy!" Rachel continued. "I got invited to the Tonys Ball!"**

 **"You did?" LeRoy asked.**

 **"Yeah," Rachel continued. "It's at a really big castle! I'm so excited."**

 **"That's so cool!" LeRoy said, encouraging his daughter's imagination.**

 **"Yeah," Rachel said. "But Daddy, there's going to be dancing... and I need to practice. Will you practice with me?"**

 **LeRoy put down his work files. "Of course I will."**

 **"Thank you!" Rachel said as she leapt into her father's arms as they began dancing around the house.**

 _Sam: She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed_

 _She wants to know if I approve of the dress_

 _Artie: She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away_

 _And I need to practice my dancin'_

 _Oh please, Daddy, please!"_

 _Ryder: So I will dance with Cinderella_

 _While she is here in my arms_

 _'Cause I know something the prince never knew_

 _Jake: Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

 _I don't want to miss even one song_

 _'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

 _And she'll be gone_

 **After a disastrous junior prom, Rachel knew that she had to make senior prom extra special. She'd known she wanted to go to prom with Finn forever, and now, it was actually happening.**

 **Rachel was getting home from prom dress shopping with Kurt and Mercedes when she saw Hiram. "Hey."**

 **"Hey," Hiram said. "Did you get your dress?"**

 **"Yeah," Rachel said. "Would you like to see it?"**

 **"Of course," Hiram said.**

 **Rachel changed into her prom dress and then went back to see her dad. "Do you think Finn will like it?"**

 **"He'll love it," Hiram said. "You look so beautiful and so grown up."**

 **"Thanks," Rachel said. "But Dad... I need to practice dancing in it... will you practice with me?"**

 **"Of course," Hiram said.**

 _Puck: She will be gone_

 _But she came home today with a ring on her hand_

 _Just glowing and telling us all they had planned_

 _Mike: She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away but I need to practice my dancin'_

 _Oh please, Daddy, please!"_

 **The wedding was only a few months away and Rachel had just brought her dress back to the White House. She knew that Finn was out today, so it was safe. She'd had both her mother figures, both her maids of honor and her best friend approve of the dress, but she still wanted her dad's approval. She slipped on her dress and put a robe over it before she walked into the oval office, where Matt was meeting with Vice President Seaborn, Josh, Deputy Chief of Staff Charlie Young and Communications Director Toby Ziegler. "Hey," Rachel said. "Is it okay if I have a few minutes with my dad?"**

 **"Yeah, of course," Josh said as he led the rest of the staff out.**

 **Once Rachel was alone with her dad, she let down her robe. "Wow," Matt said. "Rachel, is this it?"**

 **"Yeah," Rachel said.**

 **"You look beautiful," Matt said. "I can't believe I'm seeing my oldest daughter in her wedding dress."**

 **"You think Finn will like it?" Rachel asked.**

 **"He'll love it," Matt said.**

 **"Hey, I was thinking," Rachel said, her mind flashing back to when she showed another dad her prom dress. "I could use some practice dancing in this dress before the wedding... and of course we'll have the father-daughter dance... will you practice with me?"**

 **"I'd love to," Matt said, coming from behind his desk to practice some dancing with Rachel. "After all, I'll probably get critiqued... but you'll be great, with me and Finn."**

 **Rachel managed to laugh. "Thanks, Dad." She paused. "I mean Matt. Sorry."**

 **Matt looked at Rachel. "You don't have to keep calling me Matt. If you want to call me Dad, you can do it. I'd love for you to call me Dad."**

 **"Thanks, Dad," Rachel repeated. It felt so right.**

 _New Directions boys: So I will dance with Cinderella_

 _While she is here in my arms_

 _'Cause I know something the prince never knew_

 _Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

 _I don't want to miss even one song_

 _'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

 _And she'll be gone_

Rachel felt tears in her eyes. She missed Hiram and LeRoy and Shelby. Would they be proud of her today? Would they think she looked beautiful? Would they have fun?

"Are you okay?" Matt whispered.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I just... I miss them."

"Of course you do," Matt said. "But they're proud of you today, I know it."

Rachel nodded as the song came to a close. "Thanks."

Matt gave Rachel a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," Rachel said.

x

After the father/daughter dance, it was time for Finn's dance with his mom. Carole had told Finn that he didn't need to do a mother/son dance if he didn't want to, but of course he wanted to.

As Finn and his mom took the stage for their dance, Finn thought about how much she'd meant to him through the years. For the first sixteen years of his life, it had just been the two of them. She'd done so much for him. She'd worked jobs that were less than ideal so she could put food on his plate and clothes on his back and a roof over his head. She'd sacrificed socializing and traditionally fun activities so that she could spend time with him. She'd spent extra money on drumming lessons and sports camps rather than things for herself. Most importantly, she'd been there for him as someone to talk to, to lean on, to go to for advice, to look up to, to model himself after, to show him what kind of person he wanted to be.

 _Kurt: I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow_

 _And each road leads you where you want to go_

 _Blaine: And if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose_

 _I hope you choose the one that means the most to you_

 _Sam: And if one door opens to another door closed_

 _I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window_

 _Artie: If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile_

 _But more than anything, more than anything_

 _Jake: My wish for you_

 _Is that this life becomes all that you want it to_

 _Ryder: Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small_

 _You never need to carry more than you can hold_

 _Rory: And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to_

 _I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _And wants the same things too_

 _New Directions alumni: Yeah, this is my wish_

 _Puck: I hope you never look back but you never forget_

 _All the ones who love you_

 _And the place you left_

 _Mike: I hope you always forgive and you never regret_

 _And you help somebody every chance you get_

 _Oh, you find God's grace in every mistake_

 _Mercedes: And always give more than you take_

 _But more than anything, yeah more than anything_

 _Santana: My wish for you_

 _Is that this life becomes all that you want it to_

 _Tina: Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small_

 _You never need to carry more than you can hold_

 _Quinn: And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to_

 _I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _Brittany: And wants the same things too_

 _New Directions alumni: Yeah, this is my wish_

 _My wish for you_

 _Marley: Is that this life becomes all that you want it to_

 _Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small_

 _Kitty: You never need to carry more than you can hold_

 _And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to_

 _Unique: I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _And wants the same things too_

 _New Directions alumni: Yeah, this is my wish_

 _This is my wish_

 _I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _May all your dreams stay big_

"I'm so proud of you," Carole whispered to Finn at the end of the dance.

"I'm proud of us," Finn said. "You did a great job, Mom."

"I love you so much," Carole said.

Finn gave his mom a hug. "If I can be anything as a parent like you are to me, I'll be happy."

As Carole returned to her seat, Finn stayed on the floor, for only he, Rachel, their glee friends and the MC knew what was next. "The bride and groom also want a father/son and mother/daughter dance, so now it's time for the father/son dance," the MC announced.

Finn motioned for Burt to join him on the dance floor as Burt came down. "Finn, what's going on?" Burt asked.

"I told you, I want a dance with you, too," Finn said.

"You don't have to do this," Burt said.

"I want to," Finn insisted as the music began. He loved his mom, but he'd been longing to have a dad as well for most of his life. Once his mom started dating Burt, he realized that even though Christopher Hudson was his father, Burt Hummel could also be his dad. He and Burt could talk about the guy things that he and his mom couldn't talk about. Burt understood when Finn would talk about sports and he understood Finn's girl issues in ways that Carole didn't. He'd also been the one who'd unknowingly helped reunite Finn and Rachel. Finn always had fun with Burt, and while he'd been resistant at first, he was so glad his mom had married Burt.

 _Artie: When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;_

 _When troubles come and my heart burdened be;_

 _Sam: Then I am still and wait here in the silence,_

 _Until you come and sit awhile with me._

 _Blaine: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

 _You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;_

 _Kurt: I am strong when I am on your shoulders;_

 _You raise me up to more than I can be._

 _Puck: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

 _You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;_

 _Rory: I am strong when I am on your shoulders;_

 _You raise me up to more than I can be._

 _Jake: There is no life - no life without its hunger;_

 _Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;_

 _Ryder: But when you come and I am filled with wonder,_

 _Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity._

 _Mercedes: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

 _Tina: You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;_

 _Santana: I am strong when I am on your shoulders;_

 _Quinn: You raise me up to more than I can be._

 _Brittany: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

 _Unique: You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;_

 _Marley: I am strong when I am on your shoulders;_

 _Kitty: You raise me up to more than I can be._

 _New Directions alumni: You raise me up to more than I can be._

"You're an amazing young man, Finn," Burt said. "And I've always considered you my son."

"I really hope I can be as great a dad to Ryan and Emma as you are to me," Finn said.

"You already are even better," Burt said.

x

It was time for the last official dance - the mother/daughter dance. Rachel had a feeling there would be tears now, too. She wished that Shelby was here. While she and Shelby had never had the easiest relationship, she had nothing but love for the woman who'd given birth to her. She'd always craved closeness and she liked to think they'd had that in their own way.

At the same time, Rachel felt like Helen had become her mom, even though she hadn't given birth to her. They'd started to form a bond when Rachel first started working for Matt, but it really started when Rachel became pregnant. Rachel had desperately needed a mom to go with her to doctor's appointments, take her maternity shopping and just be there to talk to. Helen had done all that for her and more.

 _Mercedes: Mama, you taught me to do the right things._

 _So, now you have to let your baby fly._

 _You've given me everything that I will need._

 _To make it through this crazy thing called life._

 _Santana: And I know you watched me grow up,_

 _and only want what's best for me._

 _And I think I found the answer to your prayers._

 _Tina: And he Is good, so good._

 _He treats your little girl,_

 _like a real man should._

 _Brittany: He is good, SO good._

 _He makes promises he keeps._

 _Quinn: No, he's never gonna leave._

 _So, don't you worry about me._

 _Don't you worry about me._

 _Marley: Mama, there's no way you'll ever lose me._

 _Giving me away is not goodbye._

 _Kitty: As you watch me walk down to my future,_

 _I hope tears of joy are in your eyes._

 _Unique: Cause, he is good, so good._

 _And, he treats your little girl,_

 _like a real man should._

 _New Directions girls: He is good, SO good._

 _He makes promises he keeps._

 _No, he's never gonna leave._

 _So, don't you worry about me._

 _Don't you worry about me._

 _Mercedes: And when I watch my baby grow up,_

 _I'll only want what's best for her._

 _Santana: And I hope she'll find,_

 _the answer to my prayers._

 _And that she'll say..._

 _New Directions girls: He is good, so good._

 _And he treats your little girl,_

 _like a real man should._

 _He is good, SO good._

 _He makes promises he keeps._

 _No, he's never gonna leave._

 _So, don't you worry about me._

 _Don't you worry about me._

 _Mama, don't you worry about me._

 _Don't you worry about me._

As she'd expected, Rachel felt teary eyed at the end of the song. "Your mom and dads would be proud of you today, Rachel," Helen said. "Just like Matt and I are. You're an amazing mother and you'll be an amazing wife."

"Thanks, Mom," Rachel said. "I do have you and Dad to look up to."

Finn came on to the center of the stage at the end of the dance. Rachel let go of her mom before going to join her husband. There was one more little thing she and Finn had planned. Holding Finn's hand, she let him speak. "Thank you," Finn said. "Thank you all so much for being here today. It means so much to me that so many people care so much about me and Rachel and our children that you'll share this special day with us."

The crowd applauded as Rachel kept speaking. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we have one more thing for you, then the toasts, and then you can eat. Most of you know that Finn and I met in glee club in high school. In addition to a first dance, we wanted to have a first duet as a married couple." Finn had suggested this a while ago and Rachel loved the idea. After all, it was singing together that had brought them close together. They each had a list of songs they were disappointed they'd never gotten to do in glee club and when comparing their lists, they discovered one song was pretty high up there on both their lists. They immediately decided: this was the one to do for their first duet.

 _Finn: See the stone set in your eyes  
See the thorn twist in your side  
I wait for you  
Rachel: Sleight of hand and twist of fate  
On a bed of nails she makes me wait  
And I wait, without you  
Finn and Rachel: With or without you  
With or without you  
Finn: Through the storm we reach the shore  
Rachel: You give it all but I want more  
And I'm waiting for you  
Finn and Rachel: With or without you  
With or without you  
I can't live  
With or without you  
Finn: And you give yourself away  
Rachel: And you give yourself away  
Finn: And you give  
Rachel: And you give  
Finn and Rachel: And you give yourself away  
Finn: My hands are tied  
My body bruised, she's got me with  
Rachel: Nothing to win and  
Nothing left to lose  
Finn: And you give yourself away  
Rachel: And you give yourself away  
Finn: And you give  
Rachel: And you give  
Finn and Rachel: And you give yourself away  
Finn: With or without you  
Rachel: With or without you  
Finn and Rachel: I can't live  
With or without you  
Oh  
Finn: With or without you  
Rachel: With or without you  
Finn and Rachel: I can't live  
With or without you  
With or without you_

Finn and Rachel had just had their first duet as a married couple and they knew it wouldn't be the last. As the crowd applauded, Finn and Rachel returned to their seats for the toasts. Kurt went first. "Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel. I'm Finn's brother and best man, and I'm also Rachel's best friend. I've known Finn and Rachel since elementary school, but like them with each other, I really started to get to know them our sophomore year of high school, when the three of us joined the glee club. At the time, I had the biggest crush on Finn because he would defend me from bullies, and I just thought Rachel was this loud, annoying girl who was obsessed with solos. But when I got to know them, my relationships with them got better than any of us could have imagined. Finn and I started getting close shortly after I joined glee, when I wanted a tryout for the football team and then when we were partners for a glee assignment. Then I introduced my dad and his mom on parent-teacher night and he ended up being the best brother I could have asked for. Rachel and I started bonding our junior year. She and I got to sing on a real Broadway stage together that year and we also lived in New York together for two years - two of the best years of my life. And when you're as close to Finn and Rachel as I am, you learn that they deserve each other so much. They make each other so happy, they compliment each other, they complete each other... they're going to be great spouses to each other and they're amazing parents to Ryan and Emma. Finn, Rachel, I love you both and I wish you nothing but happiness together, and let's all raise our glasses to Finchel."

Santana took the microphone as the guests clapped for Kurt, who was hugging Finn and Rachel. "Hello. I'm Santana Lopez. I'm one of Rachel's maids of honor and she's one of my closest friends. Like Kurt said, I really met Finn and Rachel our sophomore year of high school in glee club, and I must say, our relationship didn't have the best start. What matters though is what it became and now Finn and Rachel are two of my dearest friends. Even though I wasn't always the nicest to Finn, he was always nice to me. When I was on a diet for the cheer squad once, he noticed that I looked hungry and got me some snacks from the cafeteria. Once when I sat in a chocolate cake, Finn followed me around the rest of the day so no one would think I had an accident in my pants. Rachel and I lived together in New York, and we had some great times hanging around our loft and working at the Spotlight Diner together. Finn and Rachel are the type of people you love to have in your corner. If you're feeling bad about yourself, they always know a way to make you feel better. They always listen and they never judge you. I'm so happy for them finally getting married because even when they were with other people, I knew they were meant to be together." She picked up her glass. "To Finn and Rachel!"

Again, the guests clinked their glasses together as Finn and Rachel thanked Santana and Kylie took the microphone. "Hi, I'm Kylie Nichols, Rachel's half sister and the other maid of honor. Rachel and I are sisters through our biological mother and for most of our lives, we didn't know each other. After our biological mother's death, we were connected through the biological parents of her adoptive daughter. Since then, it's felt like she's always been in my life and we've always been sisters. She's always been there for me over the past two years and she's always the first person I call if something happens, good or bad. I've also spent a lot of time over the past two years with Finn, Ryan and Emma, and I'm so glad my sister has found such a wonderful man, so kind, so sweet, so supportive, to spend her life with and have children with. I always look forward to my visits to DC or their visits to New York. Finn, Rachel, I love you both and wish you nothing but the best. Everyone, raise your glasses!"

After Rachel and Finn thanked Kylie, dinner began. All three toasts had been perfect, and dinner was perfect as well. There was seafood for an appetizer, then salad, then pasta, salmon and vegetables for the main course, and finally the wedding cake. After dinner, Finn and Rachel made their way around the room with Ryan and Emma to greet their guests.

"So you two finally made it to the altar," Mr. Schue said, hugging Finn and Rachel. "Congrats!"

"Thanks," Finn said. He looked at Mr. Schuester's kids. "Your kids are getting so big!"

"So are these two!" Mrs. Schuester said. She looked at Emma. "You know, you and I have the same name."

"That's cool!" Emma giggled.

"Yeah," Mrs. Schuester said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at yours," Rachel said.

"Hey, don't worry," Mr. Schue said.

"At least we could finally get a glee reunion now with just about everyone who was ever in it," Finn said.

"None of us would miss this," Sam said, leading the New Directions over to Finn and Rachel.

"We have something for you guys," Artie said. "What would you think about another dance, with a New Directions alumni song to go with it?"

"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed. She wasn't going to miss a chance to dance with her husband.

"After all these years, we all still love singing together," Mercedes said.

The glee club went back to the stage as Finn and Rachel took to the floor once again and the New Directions began to perform.

 _Kurt: What day is it? And in what month?_

 _This clock never seemed so alive_

 _Blaine: I can't keep up and I can't back down_

 _I've been losing so much time_

 _New Directions alumni: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

 _And it's you and me and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

 _Mercedes: All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right_

 _Sam: I'm tripping on words_

 _You got my head spinning_

 _Mercedes: I don't know where to go from here_

 _New Directions alumni: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove_

 _And it's you and me and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

 _Kitty: Something about you now_

 _I can't quite figure out_

 _Artie: Everything she does is beautiful_

 _Everything she does is right_

 _New Directions alumni: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

 _And it's you and me and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

 _And me and all of the people with nothing to do and nothing to prove_

 _And it's you and me and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

 _What day is it?_

 _And in what month?_

 _This clock never seemed so alive_

At the end of the song, Finn pulled Rachel over for another kiss. Both of them realized they were in the same position they'd been in from their famous kiss on the stage at Nationals junior year. They'd finally gotten their happy ending. They didn't have to pretend anymore.

x

Tonight could have gone on forever, but sooner or later, Finn and Rachel had to leave for their honeymoon. Of course, they were looking forward to their honeymoon. Air Force One was flying them to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a week at the beach. All their friends and the other guests had left, leaving Finn and Rachel with their parents and siblings.

"You two had a lovely wedding," Carole said.

"Thanks," Finn said. "And thanks to all of you for all your help with it."

"We love you both, you know that," Burt said.

Finn looked at Ryan and Emma. "You guys will be good for your grandparents and aunts and uncles while we're gone."

"Yeah," Ryan said. "I'm tired though, Daddy."

"I bet," Rachel said. "It's way past your bedtime."

"We didn't have to wait another four years to stay up super late!" Peter pointed out.

"Well, we're not letting you stay up this late until the next election night," Helen said.

"I think the White House wedding lived up to the hype from the media," Kurt said.

"Nah, I think it exceeded the hype," Rachel giggled. "Finn and I should probably get to our honeymoon."

"What are you guys going to do when you get to the hotel?" Kylie asked with a smirk. "Break another bed?"

"There are young children here!" Rachel reprimanded her sister.

"Guess we'll never live that down," Finn said.

"You won't," Blaine said.

"We'll be careful," Rachel said. She gave her kids each a hug. "I'll miss you guys. Promise me you'll be good?"

"Yeah!" Ryan and Emma both said.

Finn and Rachel said goodbye to their families before they boarded the plane. "I can't believe we're actually married now," Finn said.

"It's crazy, but I'm so happy," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn said. "At this time four years ago, I never would have predicted this was where we'd be now."

"Me either," Rachel said. "I always hoped this would happen some day and I'm so glad it's actually happened."

"Me too," Finn said. "The wedding was even better than in my wildest dreams."

"It turned out pretty good," Rachel said. "And since the wedding was better than we imagined, I have a feeling our future will be, too."

"Sometimes, dreams do come true," Finn said. "The past few years have been proof of that. I know things won't always be this perfect, but I know ultimately, things will be good, because we'll be going through it all together."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I love you, Finnegan Christopher Hudson."

"I love you too, Rachel Barbra Berry Hudson," Finn said.

Both Finn and Rachel smiled at the sound of Hudson being Rachel's last name. It had been a long time coming, but finally, Finn and Rachel were married.


	38. Chapter 38: Election Night 2020

_Hey everyone. I can't believe I'm on the second last chapter! I'm going to miss this story SO much :( Now, I have been thinking a lot about what's next for me... I'm considering bringing back my virtual series post S4 with a Finchel Season 8, and also thinking about bringing back Gleedo. Also, anyone remember a story I wrote a few years ago called Their Gold Star? I'm considering doing a similar story to that with little oneshots through the years of Finchel and their kids in the White House. Anyway, I still have a chapter left here and then I'm going on vacation, so I have time to decide! In the meantime, hope you enjoy this story and review if I should keep writing!_

Chapter 38: Election Night 2020

"And now that all the polls have closed, it looks like President Santos has not only won re-election, but it also appears that he may win with the highest percentage of the popular vote ever, with over 65 percent of the votes that have come in being for him..."

Rachel let out an excited scream as she hugged Finn. Finn picked up Rachel and twirled her around before they pulled in Ryan and Emma for a group hug. "He won! He won!" Ryan cheered.

"He did," Finn said, remembering that night four years ago. There was no doubt this time what the outcome of the election would be. President Santos had never had an approval rating lower than 60 percent. While the mess from the Vinick presidency wasn't completely cleaned up, it was definitely getting there. There was now a health care program that provided affordable health care to all Americans. Unemployment was at its lowest in over 20 years. Test scores in American public schools had risen and more kids were graduating high school and college than ever. The United States had strong rapports with other countries that had weakened during the Vinick administration.

Of course, it wasn't just the country that was in good shape. Finn and Rachel were getting happier and happier. Ryan and Emma had started preschool this fall and absolutely loved it so far. Rachel ended up graduating from University of Washington DC about a year after the wedding and she and Finn were now happily working full time in the White House. Of course, they'd been on the campaign trail for the past two years. This time they'd been able to take Ryan and Emma along, who loved the traveling, the rallies and meeting all the people just as much as Finn and Rachel did.

And there had been another similarity between this campaign trail and the 2016 one - Rachel had found out the day of the Iowa Caucus that she was pregnant again. Their second daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Hudson, had been born the morning of Matt's speech at the convention.

The family's group hug was interrupted when they heard small whimpers from the port-a-crib. Rachel picked up their baby girl. "Look who wanted to join in the celebrations!"

"You thought we would sleep!" Ryan said.

"We hoped you would sleep tonight, but we had a feeling you wouldn't," Finn admitted. At least there had been lots of other kids for Ryan and Emma to play with tonight as they watched the results come in. Brayden and Lily were also four years old by now and the Seaborns' son Grayson was six. The Seaborns also had a two-year-old daughter named Callie now and the Lymans had two sons, Leo, who was three, and Noah, who was twenty months old. By now, Peter was thirteen and Miranda was ten, but they'd seemed to enjoy playing with the younger kids, as had Beth, who Rachel had invited to come down.

"Congratulations on another victory," Carole said as she and Burt came over to Finn, Rachel and their kids.

"Thank you Grandma! Thank you Grandpa!" Emma giggled.

"I'm glad all three of them could be here for the victory tonight," Rachel said. She looked at her kids. "I know you guys are too young to know what this means... but when you're older... you'll know how special it is."

"We know!" Ryan said. "Papa's going to be president more!"

"And we'll still live in the White House with Nana and Papa and Peter and Miranda and Brayden and Lily!" Emma added.

"That's right, guys," Finn said, smiling down at his kids. "It was right after he won for the first time that you guys were born."

"We know," Ryan said.

"And now we have four grandkids," Burt said, looking over at Kurt and Blaine, who were standing over the port-a-crib one-year-old daughter, Tracy, was sleeping in. Kurt and Blaine were still living in New York, where Kurt was a fashion designer and Blaine was playing Tony in a new revival of West Side Story. Finn, Rachel and their kids went up to New York so the kids could visit their uncles and cousin every few weeks, and the Anderson-Hummels also frequently came to DC.

"Congrats," Kylie said, giving Rachel a hug.

"Thanks," Rachel said, hugging her sister. "You know, you got some good stuff out of this, too." She looked down at Kylie's engagement ring.

"That's true, I did meet Jack in Students for Santos," Kylie said.

"When I first met her, I never guessed we'd be at the Election Night party four years later," Jack said.

"You know all our other friends wish that they could be here tonight, too," Kurt said as he and Blaine came over with Tracy.

"Yeah, I know," Finn said. "But at least we'll have more New Directions performances at the inaugural." The other New Directions alumni were doing well also. Sam and Mercedes had gotten engaged a few months after Finn and Rachel's wedding and gotten married last summer. Mike and Tina had gotten married around Christmas time last year, and Artie and Kitty would be getting married on New Year's Eve. Ryder and Marley had also gotten engaged over the summer.

"I don't get a congratulations from my oldest daughter?" Matt asked as he and Helen came over to Rachel.

Rachel handed Sarah to Finn before hugging her dad. "Of course you do. Congratulations. You definitely earned this."

"He's done a pretty good job, don't you think?" Helen asked.

"Yeah, for sure," Rachel said. "It was nice this time that we knew he would win."

"Then why did you two have so many freakouts?" Kurt asked.

"We don't know until we know," Finn said.

"Still no call from Haffley," Rachel pointed out. The Republican Speaker of the House had been the party's presidential nominee, and while he hadn't been involved much with the Vinick presidency and hadn't admitted to or been suspected of being part of the rigging of the election in 2016, he definitely wasn't presidential material.

"He can't hold on to any more hope," Helen said, pointing at the TV.

Finn turned back to the TV. "Not only does President Santos have 65 percent of the popular vote, the highest percentage ever if it stays this way when all the votes are counted, all the states have been called, and he has won 453 electoral votes, one of the highest totals of all time," the news anchor was continuing. "He won all his states from 2016 by ten percentage points or more and won eleven states President Vinick won in 2016, and also didn't get less than 45 percent of the vote in any state. He got back Florida, Indiana and North Carolina from 2008, and the other states he's added are states we wouldn't expect to see go Democratic - Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, and a huge prize - his home state of Texas..."

"The red states just look like scabs on that blue map," Finn said as the map came back on the screen.

"They do," Rachel said. "Wow... this is amazing." She looked at Matt. "Highest percentage of the popular vote ever."

"Don't let that get to your head," Helen told her husband.

"Please, Mom, I think he can let this get to his head," Rachel said. "From where we were four years ago to where we are now, it's amazing."

"At this time four years ago, we didn't even know that we'd won," Finn said.

"I remember," Rachel said. "It was quite the night."

"The mean president lied and cheated," Ryan said.

Finn and Rachel both laughed. "Yes he did. And he's where he belongs now."

Emma looked up at Matt. "He pushed you. That was bad."

"Yes, that was bad," Matt said. He looked over at Finn and Rachel. "These two are already little activists."

"I'm glad we'll get to see them more now," Rachel said. "That is the one thing that makes me sad about being done with campaigning." Finn and Rachel had wanted their kids to get started in preschool right away, so they'd stayed with Burt and Carole during the last few months of the campaign. They'd missed their kids a lot and they also knew that Ryan and Emma had missed them and Sarah.

"I'm sure the Seaborn campaign will love to have you two in four years," Matt said.

One of the other aides came over. "Mr. President, Speaker Haffley is on the phone for you."

Finally, it could be official. Finn walked over to the window, where the celebration was already underway. Rachel walked next to Finn with Sarah in her arms, and Ryan and Emma followed. Ryan and Emma looked down at the crowd with fascinated looks on their faces and Sarah's eyes got big as she looked out the window. "Once again, we did it," Rachel said, slipping her hand into Finn's.

x

Rachel walked on to the stage with Finn and her kids, taking in the applause as confetti fell and the crowd applauded. Four years ago, Rachel and Finn had to watch from the sidelines because she hadn't revealed yet that she knew she was The Santos Baby. This time, she could be on the stage during the victory speech.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you!" Matt was beginning his speech. "Thank you, America! Four years ago, I stood in front of supporters, promising to help lead this country to a better future. I knew it was going to be challenging. But we accomplished a lot in the past four years and over the next four years we're going to accomplish even more!"

The crowd applauded as Finn and Rachel smiled at each other. "As there were four years ago, there's lots of people I need to thank. I'd like to thank Helen. I always knew that she was a wonderful wife, mother and friend, but she's also grown into her own as an incredible First Lady. I also need to thank Brayden, Lily, Miranda, Peter and Rachel. I'm so proud of the five of you and I love you so much, and appreciate how supportive and adaptable you've all been. To my parents, my siblings, my son-in-law Finn and my grandchildren, Emma, Ryan and Sarah, thank you all so much for all the support and encouragement and love. I also need to thank my vice president, Sam Seaborn, my cabinet, the White House and campaign staff and Congress for all their hard work over the past four years - you have all made all the good things that happened happen."

Rachel and Finn had been mentioned in the speech four years ago, but it had only been as staff. This time, it was as family. Rachel felt Finn's hand joining in hers.

"Over the past four years, we've accomplished a lot," Matt continued. "For the first time, all Americans have access to affordable health care. High school and college graduation rates have risen and unemployment has dropped. And I think it's safe to say that our relationships with our foreign neighbors have improved greatly.

"When we took office four years ago, we were in the midst of one of the worst financial crisises in a century and were feared by countries around the world. While we're better off today than we were four years ago, there's still a lot more to be done. I'm proud of what we've done over the past four years, but there's a lot more to be done. I know that we can accomplish more than any of us can imagine, because we'll all be doing it together. Over the past four years, what I'm most proud of is how many people have come together to do so many great things. It hasn't been easy, but we've come so far. We've accomplished so much. But there is so much more to do. The past four years have made me more and more confident that when I pass on the reins in four years that we will be the best country we've ever been. Thank you, good night, God bless you and God Bless America."

x

Finn and Rachel had spent some time on the stage before going back inside. While it wasn't as late as it had been on Election Night in 2016, it was still well past the kids' bedtime. Sarah fell asleep as soon as they got back to the residence. Emma and Ryan had wanted to stay up a little longer, but after some reading in Finn and Rachel's bed, they, too, conked out, leaving Finn and Rachel awake together, with their two oldest kids between them in bed and Sarah asleep in her crib across the room.

"Is it weird that I'm too excited to sleep?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think I can sleep, either," Finn admitted.

"We get to keep our jobs and live in the White House for another four years," Rachel said. "This has really been the best four years ever..."

"I know, right?" Finn said.

"But the best part of the past four years has been you and the kids," Rachel said.

"Yes," Finn agreed. Their thoughts were interrupted when their beagle, Coda, jumped on to their bed. Their parents and siblings had gotten Finn, Rachel and their kids a dog for their anniversary. "Hey boy!"

"Are you excited for four more years?" Rachel asked, petting their dog as the dog licked their faces.

"I think everyone's excited," Finn said.

Rachel looked at their kids. "I'm just so glad they have such a wonderful country to grow up in."

"Me too," Finn said. "You know, the past four years have been amazing. The past five, really. There's a difference between being happy under the circumstances you have and really being happy, and it's definitely been the latter for me since we got back together."

"Me too," Rachel said. "Me too." She kissed Finn. "There's something I'd REALLY like to do now, but with them right here..."

Finn seemed to know what Rachel meant. "We can do it tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Rachel said. "I guess we should try to get some sleep."

"We can try," Finn said. "Good night, babe."

"Good night," Rachel said. "I love you." She began to drift off to sleep, her hand in Finn's.


	39. Epilogue

_Hey everyone. Thank you so much for all your support on this story. It means so much to me I can't begin to tell you. Since there's never been a Glee/ West Wing crossover before, I had no idea how this would go. It turned out to be my favorite I've ever written and it seems that you guys enjoyed it too! I'm really going to miss it and I'm sad that this time, it's really over :( Again, thank you all so much._

 _A few notes about this chapter - after what happened with Mark, I really don't feel comfortable writing Puck. I hope you guys understand, but that's why he doesn't appear. Maybe I will again in the future, but who knows? And in this story, Not The End is a song Finchel wrote, as is This Time :)_

Epilogue

"I think they did a good job with setting up our place, don't you?" Finn asked Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel said as she and Finn looked around their new house.

Finn could tell by the look on Rachel's face that she was thinking the same thing he was. "I wish we could stay in the White House, too."

"Yeah," Rachel repeated. She looked around some more. The family had purchased a two floor house with four bedrooms about twenty minutes from downtown DC. It was nice, no question about it. Having free room and board for eight years while working in the White House had let Finn and Rachel save the money to buy a nice place. But still - they didn't want to leave the White House.

But Presidents of the United States couldn't serve three terms. On January 20, Matt Santos would no longer be president. Over the past eight years, the country had completely turned around. Students were reporting less and less student debt, all Americans had access to the government health care program, unemployment was low, houses were affordable, the environment was in good shape and the United States was respected by nations around the world.

In November, Vice President Seaborn had been elected to succeed President Santos. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he would continue the great work his predecessor had done. Finn and Rachel would still be involved with the administration, but not full time. As much as they loved White House jobs, they were very time consuming and stressful. Finn had taken a job as a glee club director at a local high school and Rachel had taken a job as a theatre critic at the Washington Post. They'd assured the incoming president that they'd still volunteer for events at the White House and on his re-election campaign in four years, but at the same time, it would be nice to have more free time.

"Want to go check on the kids now?" Finn asked Rachel.

Rachel nodded and took Finn's hand as they went upstairs. They peeked into what would be the girls' room. Emma, who was now eight, and Sarah, who was now four, were playing with their dolls on Emma's bed. "What are you two up to?" Finn asked.

"We're playing with our dolls," Emma said. "We asked Ryan if he wanted to play with us, but he didn't."

Ryan came into the girls' room after hearing his name. "If they weren't playing with their dolls, I would."

"So, what do you guys think of the new house?" Finn asked. "Just to warn you guys, you're going to need to clean your own rooms here, just like Mom and I did when we were kids..."

"We clean our rooms!" Emma protested.

"Yeah, but there won't be White House staff on hand to clean them if you don't," Rachel warned.

"The house is nice," Emma said.

"My room is still bigger than Nick's," Ryan said.

"And hey, Nick won't need to get his bags checked for sleepovers anymore," Rachel said. She turned to Emma. "Neither will Ava."

"I don't know if sleepover will be as much fun," Emma said. "We won't have the bowling alley and the movie theatre and the pool anymore..."

"And Brayden and Lily and Miranda and Peter won't get to join us," Ryan said.

"You guys will still get to play with them, but I'll miss living with them, too," Rachel said. "And the president-elect said we're welcome at the White House any time."

"Grayson and Callie won't have a house full of people to play with like you guys did," Finn added.

"We'll go play with them!" Sarah said.

"You will," Finn said.

"I'll miss the White House, too," Sarah added.

"You guys were really lucky to get to live there," Finn said.

"We know," Ryan said.

Finn wasn't sure if the kids knew just how lucky they were. He figured he'd spare them an emotional talk. The next few days would be full of emotional speeches and the kids were young. They wouldn't get it all. An era was truly ending. The Santos presidency was being considered one of the best now, up there with Lincoln, Washington and FDR.

And Finn and Rachel had been part of it.

"Mama? Dada?" Finn heard from down the hall.

"Sounds like someone might be up from a nap," Finn said.

"Maybe both of them?" Rachel asked.

"Let's go see," Finn said, taking Rachel's hand and walking down the hall with their three oldest children behind them. They walked into their two-year-old twin sons' bedroom, where one of the boys, Liam Burt Hudson, was sitting up in his bed. Liam smiled when he saw his family. "Hi!"

"Hey little guy!" Finn said, reaching over the rail to pick up his son. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Good nap!" Liam said.

Finn looked over in the other bed. As if on cue, Liam's twin brother, Christopher Matthew Hudson, opened his eyes. "Hi!"

"Hey!" Rachel said, lifting Chris out of his bed.

"Well, they seemed to sleep well in their beds at the new house," Finn said.

"They did," Rachel said.

"We'll still get to sleep at the White House tonight, right?" Emma asked.

"Of course," Finn said. "We'll sleep there every night until Inauguration Day."

x

As he got ready for the farewell event for the Santos administration, Finn's eyes fell on a photo he and Rachel took at their first event with the campaign. This summer, it would be ten years since they'd reunited. At this time ten years ago, Finn didn't think he'd be with Rachel, married and raising the five most amazing kids in the world.

Rachel took Finn's hand. "It's hard to believe that photo was taken nearly ten years ago."

"It is," Finn said. "I'm so proud of us."

"Me too," Rachel agreed. "It'll be nice to see everyone, won't it?"

"It will," Finn agreed. They'd invited the glee alumni to come back to perform at the farewell event. The main time everyone got to be together nowadays was weddings, since people were all over the country.

Finn and Rachel were the only ones in DC. Kurt and Blaine were still in New York, where Kurt was still at Vogue and a designer and Blaine was a theatre critic for the New York Times. Tracy was five now and Kurt and Blaine also had boy/ girl twins, Spencer and Katherine, who were three. Sam and Mercedes also lived in New York with their two-year-old son Gabriel and one-year-old daughter Alicia. Mercedes had two Grammys now and Sam was a football coach and music teacher at a high school. Artie and Kitty were in New York as well with their three-year-old son Tim and one-year-old daughter Holly. Artie was nominated for his first Oscar for Best Director and Kitty was a co-host on The Today Show. Rounding out the New York crew were Ryder and Marley. Ryder was a learning disabilities specialist at the New York public schools and Marley had just put out her first album. They had a two-year-old daughter named Ella and were expecting their second child.

Everyone else was all over the place. Mike and Tina were in Chicago, where Mike was a pro dancer and now faculty at the Joffrey and Tina was working for a nonprofit. They had a five-month-old son named Joey. Santana and Brittany were in LA, where Brittany had made Fondue For Two into America's top rated talk show and Santana did PR work, with their daughters, Molly, who was three, and Olivia, who was one. Quinn had reconnected with and married Joe Hart, who worked at the same real estate firm in Indiana she did, and they were hoping to have a child. Rory had moved to the United States to attend UCLA, where he and Unique met up and had just gotten engaged. Jake was also in LA and a pro dancer on Dancing With The Stars. Lauren had won gold medals in wrestling in the Olympics in both 2020 and 2024. Puck was stationed abroad right now with the air force, so Beth was staying with Quinn right now.

Finn and Rachel were definitely be glad to see their whole families tomorrow. Of course, they got to see Rachel's family in the White House all the time, and Burt and Carole, but it would be nice to see their other siblings. Kurt and Blaine were coming in with their kids and Beth would be coming with Quinn. Kylie and Jack had gotten married two years ago and would be coming in from Boston with their three-year-old daughter Abby. Kylie was a photographer for the Boston Globe and Jack was in law school, and they were expecting their second child, who they just found out was a boy, in about three months.

"The only good thing about Papa not being president anymore is I won't have to wear ties all the time," Ryan said as he came in.

"Hey, I'll miss the pretty dresses," Emma said.

Finn and Rachel laughed at their eight-year-olds' logic. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, me too," Sarah said.

"You guys are so funny," Finn said.

"We are?" Sarah asked.

"You are!" Rachel said. "Come on, let's go." She took Finn's hand as they made one of their final walks down the halls of the residence of the White House and into the parlor of the residence. "There you guys are!" Brayden said.

"You guys gonna miss the White House, too?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, so much," Miranda said. "It's not fair that Peter got his junior prom here last year and I won't get a prom here."

"You're not allowed to be in high school, young lady, let alone talking about prom," Rachel said. She turned to Peter. "And it's crazy to think you're graduating this year."

"It is, isn't it?" Matt asked. "As if having five grandchildren wasn't enough to make me feel old, I'll have two kids out of high school."

"I'll be at Georgetown, so you'll still see me all the time," Peter said.

"That's right," Finn said. Matt and Helen would still be living in DC so the kids wouldn't have to move schools, which made Finn and Rachel happy they could still see their family.

"I'll miss living with you guys," Lily said.

"We were just talking about how much we'll miss living here with all of you," Rachel said.

"You guys are always welcome at the new place," Matt said. "I know it's not the White House, but I think it's pretty nice."

"And it still has a pool!" Brayden said.

"Our new house doesn't," Sarah pouted.

"You can always swim in ours," Helen said.

Burt and Carole came in with Kurt, Blaine, Tracy, Spencer and Katherine. Chris and Liam got excited at the sight of their uncles. "Hi! Hi!" the little boys chorused.

"Hey guys," Blaine said, hugging his two youngest nephews.

"Don't we get a hi?" Sarah asked.

"Of course," Kurt said.

"Do you like our dresses, Aunt Rachel?" Tracy asked. "Daddy designed them!"

"I do!" Rachel said. "Though why didn't you design dresses for me and my girls for tonight?"

"Sorry, I'm in the middle of designing lots of clothing for a big wedding," Kurt said. "I'm just glad I could come up with something for these two."

"I said nothing fancy for me," Spencer said.

Kurt groaned. "He doesn't appreciate good fashion."

"Sorry," Rachel said. "If it means anything, Ryan and Emma kept asking when it would be over when Les Mis came to DC over New Year's."

"Shame on you two!" Kurt said.

"It was so long!" Ryan complained.

"And boring!" Emma added. "But it did have good music."

"Maybe I could play some of them on my drums," Ryan said.

"They do like seeing the high school glee club's performances," Finn said.

"We'll be in glee club when we're in high school," Ryan said.

"Maybe I'll meet my future husband in glee club, like Mommy and Daddy!" Emma said.

"No," Rachel said. "You are not talking about getting married yet."

"Yeah, Emma, if I can't go to prom, you definitely can't get married," Miranda said.

"She's a freshman, so prom isn't too far away," Blaine said.

"It's bad enough that she's already taller than I am," Rachel said.

"Yeah, and I'm going to prom this year!" a voice said. Finn and Rachel turned as they saw Beth, Kylie, Jack and Abby coming in.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Can you believe it, Rachel?" Kylie asked. "Our little sister's going to prom with one of her friends who's a junior... she told me on the way here."

"That's crazy," Rachel said, hugging Kylie and Beth. "How's that little boy doing?"

"He's doing great," Kylie said. "Bigger than Abby was at this point, so I'm getting nervous."

"Hey, I did it with twins twice, you can do it," Rachel said.

"I'm going to be the best big sister ever," Abby declared.

"Yes you are," Jack said.

"No, I'm the best big sister ever!" Sarah said. "Or maybe Emma is..."

"You can all be the best big sisters ever," Finn said. The all definitely had the best family ever, that much both Finn and Rachel knew.

x

"There they are!" Tina said. The New Directions alumni broke into applause as Finn and Rachel came into the room.

"Thank you all for coming," Finn said as he and Rachel hugged their friends.

"Of course, it's the White House!" Santana said. "And you guys."

"Luckily, President-Elect Seaborn told us he still wants us to perform at events from time to time," Finn said. "Which is good, because I don't want to not perform here."

"I liked the song you guys picked out for us to perform today," Marley said.

"Though I wish you guys had shared the songs you wrote for tonight with us," Sam said.

"They're surprises," Finn said. Finn would be performing a solo they'd written and Finn and Rachel would be performing a duet together that they'd also written. They were very excited to share the songs.

"Well, Finn did do a good job with Pretending, and Rachel did a good job with Get It Right, so these will probably be good," Mercedes admitted.

"That's right," Finn said.

"Are you guys going to miss the White House?" Artie asked.

"We will," Finn said.

"Watch them have major re-entry issues," Unique said.

"Yeah, you'll need to do all your own housework, drive yourselves around, make your own arrangements..." Kitty began.

"Yeah, we're hoping that's not too hard for the kids," Finn sighed. "We tried to keep them as grounded as they could, but it might be a bit of a shock for them."

"You guys will do fine," Mike encouraged.

"It's been a great eight years, well, this summer, it'll have been a great ten years," Rachel said. "For us and for the country. And now that we're out of the White House, we'll try to visit and come to your stuff more, I promise. The kids need to spend more time with their cousins."

"Are you guys almost ready to go on?" the event's MC asked.

Everyone spoke their agreement as the music for the opening number began and the glee alumni stepped on stage.

 _Rachel: I said remember this moment in the back of my mind_

 _The time we stood with our shaking hands_

 _The crowds in stands went wild_

 _Finn: We were the Kings and the Queens_

 _And they read off our names_

 _The night you danced like you knew our lives_

 _Would never be the same_

 _Kurt: You held your head like a hero_

 _On a history book page_

 _Blaine: It was the end of a decade_

 _But the start of an age_

 _New Directions alumni: Long live the walls we crashed through_

 _How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you_

 _I was screaming long live all the magic we made_

 _And bring on all the pretenders_

 _One day, we will be remembered_

 _Mercedes: I said remember this feeling_

 _I pass the pictures around_

 _Sam: Of all the years that we stood there_

 _On the side-lines wishing for right now_

 _Artie: We are the Kings and the Queens_

 _You traded your baseball cap for a crown_

 _Kitty: When they gave us our trophies_

 _And we held them up for our town_

 _Mike: And the cynics were outraged_

 _Screaming, "This is absurd!"_

 _Tina: Cause for a moment a band of thieves_

 _In ripped up jeans got to rule the world_

 _New Directions alumni: Long live the walls we crashed through_

 _How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you_

 _I was screaming long live all the magic we made_

 _And bring on all the pretenders_

 _I'm not afraid_

 _Long live all the mountains we moved_

 _I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you_

 _I was screaming long live that look on your face_

 _And bring on all the pretenders_

 _One day, we will be remembered_

 _Marley: Hold on to spinning around_

 _Confetti falls to the ground_

 _May these memories break our fall_

 _Ryder: Will you take a moment, promise me this_

 _That you'll stand by me forever_

 _Quinn: But if God forbid fate should step in_

 _And force us into a goodbye_

 _Joe: If you have children some day_

 _When they point to the pictures_

 _Jake: Please tell them my name_

 _Rory: Tell them how the crowds went wild_

 _Tell them how I hope they shine_

 _Unique: Long live the walls we crashed through_

 _I had the time of my life, with you_

 _New Directions alumni: Long, long live the walls we crashed through_

 _How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you_

 _And I was screaming long live all the magic we made_

 _And bring on all the pretenders_

 _I'm not afraid_

 _Singing, long live all the mountains we moved_

 _I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you_

 _And long, long live the look on your face_

 _And bring on all the pretenders_

 _One day, we will be remembered_

The crowd applauded at the end of the song as the glee alumni left, leaving Finn and Rachel on stage. "Thank you," Finn said. "It's hard to believe this is our last White House event as part of the Santos administration." He held Rachel's hand as he spoke. "A lot has happened over the past eight years. When we look at how far this country has come over the past eight years, it's amazing. There was a lot we wanted to do, but I know many people thought we wouldn't get most of those things done, but we did. And Rachel and I have both said so many times how much the past eight years have changed our lives. Had we never joined the campaign, we wouldn't be the strong, confident, capable, successful people we are today, and I know we're not the only people this administration changed for the better. But all things must come to an end, and soon, the reins will be passed to Vice President Seaborn. I've gotten to know him well over the past eight years and there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be an incredible president and that he'll continue all the great work this administration did. So while I'm sad to be leaving, I know that this isn't the end of what we've done." The music began as he began to sing his solo for today.

 _Finn: Woah, woah_

 _Woah, woah_

 _Woah, woah_

 _The sun will still shine tomorrow_

 _So it's time for moving on_

 _There's not a second for sorrow_

 _Even though the moments gone_

 _The puzzle has so many pieces_

 _But you can't, you can't hide_

 _'Cause life just keeps on living_

 _And sooner or later you'll find_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _Your day is gonna come_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _You're not the only one_

 _We all have our ups and all have our downs_

 _That we have to find a way around_

 _This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

 _This is not the end_

 _Woah, woah_

 _I know it's never easy_

 _To pick yourself up again_

 _Take a deep breath 'cuz you know that_

 _It's time to look ahead_

 _With one foot in front of other_

 _That you can, you can fly_

 _Into a better tomorrow_

 _And leave yesterday behind_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _Your day is gonna come_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _You're not the only one_

 _We all have our ups and all have our downs_

 _That we have to find a way around_

 _This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

 _This is not the end_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _Don't ever give up, no_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _It's just a start now_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _It's just a start now_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _Your day is gonna come_

 _This is not the end, no_

 _You're not the only one_

 _We all have our ups and all have our downs_

 _That we have to find a way around_

 _This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

 _This is not the end_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _Don't ever give up, no_

 _Oh, oh, oh_

 _It's just a start now_

 _We all have our ups and all have our downs_

 _That we have to find a way around_

 _This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

 _This is not the end_

 _Woah, woah_

As the crowd applauded at the end of Finn's song, Rachel took the microphone. "Wow. I told myself I wouldn't cry tonight, but I guess that was too much to ask of myself. Thank you all for being here tonight. It's been an incredible eight years and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. My dad has been one of the best presidents this country has ever seen, in my opinion. He turned this country around when so many people thought there was no hope. More importantly, he's an incredible father to me and my siblings and an exceptional grandfather to my children. My children are young, so I don't know how much they'll remember of our time in the White House when they're older, but I'm going to have so many great stories to tell them. I feel so lucky that they're growing up in the country at this time. So, I want to thank everyone who made this world we're living in today possible." The music began for Finn and Rachel's duet.

 _Finn: These walls and all these picture frames_

 _Every name they show_

 _These halls I've walked a thousand times_

 _Heartbreaks and valentines, friends of mine all know_

 _Rachel: I look at everything I was_

 _And everything I ever loved_

 _And I can see how much I've grown_

 _Finn: And though the mirror doesn't see it_

 _It's clear to me, I feel it_

 _I can make it on my own_

 _Rachel: I'm not afraid of moving on and letting go_

 _It's just so hard to say goodbye to what I know, I know_

 _Finn and Rachel: This time no one's gonna say goodbye_

 _I keep you in this heart of mine_

 _This time I know it's never over_

 _No matter who or what I am_

 _I'll carry where we all began_

 _This time that we had, I will hold forever_

 _Finn: This old familiar place is_

 _Where every face is another part of me_

 _Rachel: I played a different game then_

 _They called me a different name then_

 _I think of all the things I did and how I wish I knew what I know now_

 _Finn: I see how far I've come and what I got right_

 _When I was looking for that spotlight_

 _I was looking for myself_

 _Rachel: Got over what I was afraid of_

 _I showed 'em all that I was made of_

 _More than trophies on a shelf_

 _Finn: For all the battles that we lost or might have won_

 _Rachel: I never stopped believing in the words we sung, we sung_

 _Finn and Rachel: This time no one's gonna say goodbye_

 _I keep you in this heart of mine_

 _This time I know it's never over_

 _No matter who or what I am_

 _I'll carry where we all began_

 _This time that we had, I will hold forever_

 _Finn: I'm looking out from the crossroads_

 _I don't know how far away I will roll_

 _Rachel: I take a breath, I close my eyes_

 _Your voice will carry me home_

 _Finn and Rachel: I keep you in this heart of mine_

 _This time I know it's never over_

 _No matter who or what I am_

 _I'll carry where we all began_

 _Finn: This time that we had, I will hold_

 _Rachel: This time that we had, I will hold_

 _Finn and Rachel: This time that we had, I will hold_

 _Forever_

 _Forever_

x

Ryan, Emma and Sarah all cried when leaving the White House on January 20. Chris and Liam started crying as well when they saw their older siblings crying.

Finn and Rachel knew they couldn't cry with their kids crying. Brayden, Lily and Miranda were all crying too when the Hudsons met up with the Santoses.

It took all Rachel had to not cry during the limo ride to the White House to the Capitol. This was Not The End, as the song had said, but this was the end of an era. She'd thought about what her friends had said - would she have re-entry issues? Would she be bored with having so much more free time? Would it be hard for the kids to adjust to having to do so many more things for themselves?

As the family got out of the limo, the crowd applauded. Rachel smiled up at Finn and squeezed his hand.

The family waited in the Capitol halls before the announcement came. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the First Family!"

Finn and Rachel stepped out with their kids and the Santoses. The cheers were so loud. It assured Rachel that even though the Santos administration was ending, everything that had been accomplished wouldn't be forgotten.

At the end of the inaugural ceremony, the new President and First Lady and Grayson and Callie escorted the outgoing First Family out of the Capitol. When Finn and Rachel got in the limo with their kids and the now former First Family, the reality that things had changed really seemed to set in.

"We made it," Matt said. "We all did."

"Yeah," Helen added. "The question is, what are we all going to do tonight and tomorrow?"

"Well, these guys will all have school," Rachel said. "But seriously, Dad, you did a great job."

"You did," Finn said.

"I like to think so," Matt said.

"You don't need to think," Helen said. "You did."

After a few minutes, the limo pulled up in front of Finn and Rachel's new house. "Well, this is where we leave," Finn said.

"It's going to be so weird not having you living with us anymore," Peter said.

"Would you all like to come over for dinner this weekend?" Rachel asked.

"Come to think of it, I don't think we have any plans," Helen said.

"Of course we will," Matt said.

"Can you even cook, Mom?" Ryan asked.

"Oh gosh," Rachel said. "Now I'll need to go back to making all my own meals..."

"This is going to be fun!" Emma said.

"Well, by the weekend, she'll have practice," Brayden said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She, Finn and their kids said goodbye to Matt, Helen and her siblings before they headed inside. Rachel noticed Chris and Liam were looking tired, so she turned to the three older kids. "I think your little brothers need a nap..."

"No nap!" Chris protested.

"I think you do need one," Finn said.

"Not want nap!" Liam interrupted.

"Well, let's go to your room," Finn said. He turned to the three older kids. "We'll be with you guys soon."

The new house was completely ready for Finn and Rachel to live in with their kids. While it wasn't the White House, it was nice to know that they had their own place to live with their kids, just like they'd always dreamed.

The two toddlers eventually admitted to being tired and fell asleep soon. When they fell asleep, Finn and Rachel walked to the window. It wasn't the view they had from the White House, but it was still a lovely view of Washington.

"I love you," Rachel said as she kissed Finn.

"I love you too," Finn said, deepening the kiss.

"We did good, don't you think?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, we did," Finn said. "I'm proud of us."

"Me too," Rachel said. "No matter where we are, or what we're doing, I know it's going to be amazing because we have each other."

"Yeah," Finn said.

"Mommy, Daddy," a little whisper came at the door. Finn and Rachel turned to see Sarah. "Will you come play with us?" Sarah asked.

"Of course," Finn said. They followed their daughter downstairs, so lucky to be right here with their kids right now. Even though the Santos presidency had ended, the good things it had done for Finchel and for the country would never go away.


End file.
